A Moment to Be Real
by spirithorse
Summary: Being the crew of a skimmer is a dangerous job, and both Atemu and Yugi know it. But how will one cope when they lose what it most important to them?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This one snuck up on me because, honestly, it wasn't supposed to exist. But the others on the Best Puzzleshipping Contest chats were playing the new game in Gaia, Frontier Skies, and they were coming back with all the hilarious things that their characters were doing and two jumped out at me, so I linked them together to create this.

I apologize in advance for making Atemu a bit OOC. I really tried to stay true to his character, but two things may have interfered. One, he's supposed to be hysterical, so a bit of wavering back and forth could work for that. Two, I kind of like the idea of Atemu being a bit unstable without Yugi at times, so I went with that.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**Warnings:** m-preg, lemon, character death, possible OOC

Dedicated to the folks in the chats. You know who you are. Extra thanks to Tavi for betaing this.

**

* * *

A Moment to Be Real**

**Chapter One**

The cart jolted to a stop, the people that had gathered in the back quickly jumping off as the engineer fiddled with the controls, cursing the entire time. Atemu waited until the crowd had cleared a bit before jumping off himself, pausing to stretch his back, his muscles cramped from the long ride from his village. He paused to glance back in the direction he had come, trying to commit the image of his home to memory in case he didn't come back again; there was always the chance of dying on a skimmer. He shook his head, adjusting the strap of his bag that was slung over his shoulder before beginning to push his way through the crowd, heading from the market to the docks, his eyes already fixed on the colorful sails that were just in his line of vision, unable to stop the smile that crossed his face.

Danysia was the largest city on the planet of Skelilia, the starships from the other planets coming here to pick up their loads of fruits and flowers, all in demand across the other planets in the system and depositing their passengers, aliens of all kinds who wanted to spend a few restful weeks in the country. Atemu was far too used to seeing them around his home and when he was working on the skimmer to stare at the wide range of life forms that were walking the streets, settling for shouldering his way through the crowd. He was also used to the sights of Danysia, he had been coming here every summer since he was old enough to work, earning more money for his family and satisfying his own need to wander.

He ducked out of the way of a group of tourists, taking a short cut through an alley before coming out into the open, taking in the bustle of the port. People were rushing around, helping lower the cargoes from the few skimmers who had dared to brave the last of the winter winds, crates piled along the edges of docks to wait for the carts to pick them up and deliver them to the spaceport. Captains talked amongst themselves in small groups, all of them walking to their homes in the city while the sailors continued to scurry around the skimmers, checking the rigging and the engines before departing to the nearest bar. Some of the crews were just loading their stuff onto the skimmers, most of the captains smart enough to wait until the unpredictable winds had stopped to make their runs.

Atemu gave a small wave to one of the captains that was walking off, Joey Wheeler enthusiastically waving back until Seto dragged him off, the blonde man protesting every step of the way. Atemu smiled to himself, moving to one side to keep out of the way of a load of crates being brought past, fighting the urge to laugh at their antics. It was only a matter of time before one of them snapped and jumped the other; that fact the basis of a popular bet that was circling around the port. He had managed to avoid placing a bet, mostly because he knew that everyone had lost. Seto and Joey had been together for three years before the bet had been made.

"Hey, looks like the pretty boy finally showed up!" Atemu glanced up, smiling as he saw Duke leaning on the rails of the Puzzle, one of the seven skimmers in the Millennium fleet. Duke gave him a smile before turning to shout back into the ship. "Hey, Yugi, your boy toy is here!"

There was no response, the smile on Duke's face fading before he scrambled below decks, Atemu watching him go before clambering onto the ship, letting his bag drop to the wooden deck with a thud, laughing as he heard Duke cursing below. He leaned back against the rail of the Puzzle, looking around at the familiar wooden deck, glancing back at the wheel in its covered house before staring at the sails, the fabric changing from white to gold about halfway up. Atemu sighed, glancing over the rail of the ship to look at the metal side, the silvery metal revealed where the golden paint had flaked off. In front of the Puzzle, the six others waited patiently for the moment when their engines would be fired up and they would be freed from their mooring. Atemu found he couldn't wait until that moment. Then he would be free of the monotonous life on the ground.

A creak from the rigging above him drew Atemu's attention up, his lips parting in a smile as he stared up at the person. "I knew you were there."

"Really?" Yugi swung down from his place in the rigging, leaning against the railing beside Atemu, careful to keep some distance between them. Everywhere but the privacy of their own homes or the ship, they were nothing more than best friends, neither of them wanting to get threatened by the gangs that roamed the streets at night. Apparently, loving another man made one weaker, somehow. Atemu sighed, glancing over his shoulder at the city, glad that he only came to Danysia twice a year; once to board and once to unload.

Yugi poked his side, Atemu blinking and turning his attention to his lover, his gaze dropping to the silver chain around Yugi's neck. He smiled at the sight of it, Yugi reaching under his shirt at the expression to pull out the small stone smoothed into a teardrop shape. Atemu reached out to touch the stone, running his fingers over the surface. "You kept it."

"Of course." Yugi tucked the stone back under his shirt, sticking his tongue out at Atemu. "Did you think that I would just throw it away? Or were you hoping that another man would catch my eye and drag me away from you?"

"Neither."

"Good, because you're stuck with me, Atemu." Yugi gave him a friendly shove before leaning over to pick up Atemu's bag, the coy look that Yugi gave over his shoulder making Atemu shiver. "Come on, let's get you settled in."

Atemu felt a spike of arousal at Yugi's statement, the look and the perfect view of Yugi's behind doing nothing to help. He felt his mouth drop open, glancing down at his things before looking up at Yugi. His lover laughed, slinging the bag over his shoulder. "Not like that, Atemu. That's for later."

Yugi gave him a little wave before disappearing into the skimmer, Atemu staring after him before forcing himself to turn around and draw in a deep breath, his hands trembling on the railing of the ship. Only Yugi could affect him like that. **S**ome part of him wanted to go below decks and beg Yugi to take him, Atemu shakinghis head before staring up at the sails again, swallowing harshly. He couldn't do that until they were ready to settle down, Atemu hoping that the time was quickly approaching. He sighed, giving the railing of the Puzzle one last pat before jumping up, grabbing a hold of a rope and scrambling up into the rigging, going around and checking things over, pausing when he spotted the captain rushing back towards the ship, Atemu looking forward to see the first in the Millennium Fleet firing up her engines.

The Eye strained at her moorings for a moment before the lines were tossed up, the skimmer rising a bit, just far enough to not scrape against any of the trees or small buildings between Danysia and the fields, before zipping away. A cheer went up from the people watching, Atemu finding himself smiling as well. Even after nearly seven years of doing this, the excitement was still there. Atemu adjusted his stance in the rigging so he wouldn't tumble backward during take off, watching as the others of the fleet rose and then moved off.

A shout from below him drew his attention down, watching Captain Valon rush onboard before scrambling up to the wheelhouse, gesturing to the others to release the mooring lines. Atemu made his way to the edge of the skimmer, reaching out to catch the rope thrown up to him. **He** turned his head slightly at the pressure on the rope under him, watching as Yugi deftly caught his rope before scampering away. Atemu smiled and followed him after dropping the mooring line for another crew member to secure, settling down beside Yugi as the engines in the skimmer thrummed, the Puzzle shaking for a moment before it rose.

Atemu leaned forward a bit, the smile still on his face as the Puzzle turned slowly, listening to Valon shout at the crew that was on the deck, the men below him working to secure items on deck and check over equipment. Atemu glanced over at Yugi, the same smile on Yugi's face. They both lived for these few months of freedom from the drudgery of life, enjoying every moment before it had to end. He sobered at the thought, hating that he was taking Yugi away from something that he loved. He reached out to touch Yugi's hand, relieved when Yugi looked back at him.

The look in Yugi's eyes was enough for him; Yugi would choose him over all of this. The stone that Yugi had accepted from him was enough of an outward side of that willingness for him. And, hopefully, after this trip, Atemu would get to take Yugi home with him for good. And the change of location would help Solomon, Yugi spending most of his time worrying about his grandfather who remained behind in the city, slowly being poisoned by the fumes in his work place.

He sighed, stroking the back of Yugi's hand before turning his gaze towards the faint line of blue on the horizon. They would cross over some of the villages that they would stop by on the way back, wanting to get out to the farthest part of their loop before the summer storms hit. It would be easier to ride out the storms in the villages than out in the middle of nowhere. Soon, instead of the patchwork pattern of fields and villages, it would just be the sea and its spires of land with the hardy orchards growing from every crag. Atemu laughed to himself, looking down before dropping onto the deck, joining in the rush and following the orders bellowed by Valon as the man guided the Puzzle towards the sea. And, all the time, Yugi was by his shoulder.

* * *

The fire lit up the faces of the crew as they sat around it for warmth. Atemu leaned back against the log behind him, feeling Yugi slip his arm over his shoulder, Atemu tipping slightly to rest against Yugi. He looked around the circle, the seven men and the captain all talking and eating. Just behind him, Atemu could hear the Puzzle creaking as the skimmer settled down, moored to the ground with the engine turned off. He tipped his head back, catching a glint of metal in the night before he returned his attention to the small group, listening to the quiet sounds of conversation and the clink of forks against plates.

They had made good time, a good wind behind them. It had taken them one day to reach the limits of their run, Valon giving them the rest of the evening off before they began gathering from the trees on this spire of land. The days would follow the same pattern from then, the crew gathering the fruit into baskets and transporting it back to the skimmer only to hop to the next spire and start the process again. They would be occupied for most of the summer, spending the tumultuous months close to the villages.

Atemu raised his cup to his lips, taking a gulp of the fermented fruit drink that Valon had allowed them, already slightly tipsy; but he was willing to bet that the rest of the crew were completely drunk by now, Yugi included. He turned his head to look at his lover, smiling as he saw that Yugi had taken the stone out from under his shirt. He leanedover to nuzzle Yugi's neck in thanks. Atemu nearly purred as he felt Yugi brush his fingers over his neck, leaning into the caress before he jerked upright again, glaring at the rest of the crew as they started laughing.

"I can feel myself getting cavities from how sweet that is."

Atemu went to respond, only to be pulled into Yugi's lap, surprised when Yugi slid a hand down his chest. "Jealous Duke?"

Duke sputtered for a moment before shaking his head. "Of course not. We're all happy for you. Right guys?" There were murmurs of approval from around the circle, most of the men having known both Yugi and Atemu for years. "We're just waiting for a little Yugi Jr. to start running around here."

"Nah, you've got it out of order, Duke." Tristan elbowed his friend in the side before gesturing with his cup. "Atemu has to carry the terror first."

Atemu leaned forward, only to be pulled back by Yugi, shivering as his lover kissed his neck. "Steady on there, beloved." Then Yugi straightened up, almost absently stroking Atemu's chest as he glared at the others. "That was venturing into dangerous territory, Tristan."

The brunette nodded, glancing at his cup before spreading his arms in a shrug. "Look man, I'm sorry."

"It's still a sore spot. The female population is only now on the rise." Atemu grumbled the words more to himself than anyone else, they already knew it anyway. When the humans had first come to Skelilia, they had immediately rushed to grab the land and the natural resources, the native Skelilians fighting back. What followed had been years of bloodshed and anger, the schism between the two races just now healing, but the effects still lingered.

It had been a common genetic defect for Skelilian males to be born with the ability to bear young, something that had run in many families, much to their embarrassment. But the defect had saved their race when the humans had begun their vicious attacks on them, striking down the females who worked the fields or the town to try and eliminate any way for the Skelilians to increase in numbers. The plan had backfired against them, the genetic defect becoming the species only way to survive; still an embarrassing fact to admit. Atemu flinchedand turned his head to nuzzle Yugi's neck, wanting to get away from the uncomfortable subject, Yugi wrapping an arm around his waist as a response to the move.

"Am I the only one that thinks that a baby with Yugi and Atemu's looks would be incredibly hot?"

"Shut up, Malik." Duke shot a glare at the blonde, Malik giving him a wide smile before shrugging, the two smooth stones that he wore knocking against each other. All the crew members stared at the stones for a moment, Duke the only one willing to comment. "But you're already married to two others and expecting a kid."

Malik laughed and leaned back. "I know. Who'd have thought that 'Kura would be the one to carry that gene?"

They all stared at him for a while before Malik shrugged, getting up and stretching. "Night everyone. I actually want to function tomorrow."

He walked off, Tristan glaring after him before turning to look at Atemu and Yugi. "Don't listen to him." Tristan settled into a more comfortable position before glancing at the stone around Yugi's neck. "So, when are you leaving us?"

"As soon as possible. My parents aren't getting younger and then need me around to help, not out here. Maybe after this season." He looked up to see Yugi nod, glad that his lover was with him on this.

"Damn. I was hoping to lose you later than that." Valon shook his head, tossing the rest of the contents of his cup behind him. "You're one of the best on this team. And I was hoping to retire with you still on it."

"I'm not interested in captaining a skimmer, as much as I would love to."

"Nah, the Puzzle will be retired by the time I could afford to let go, damn pay cuts. Does the rest of the galaxy think we just do this for fun?" Valon snorted to himself and pulled his hat down over his eyes, effectively calling an end to all conversation.

The crew ignored the captain's silent order to sleep, shifting a bit further away from the fire and huddling in a smaller group, the bottle of fermented fruit juice being passed around again. Atemu hesitated for a moment before accepting another cup, gingerly sipping it. He was getting tipsier faster than normal, but it was probably just his body reacting to the presence of all the other men here. Atemu scowled at the dark liquid in his cup, cursing the gene that made him like this.

As if he could read his thoughts, Yugi held him a little tighter, Atemu turning slightly so he could curl up against Yugi. Strangely enough, despite his confidence and sometimes forceful attitude, nothing made him happier that curling up in Yugi's arms; the inherent girlishness of that statement making him wince sometimes, but it was true. He loved being held by Yugi. It was probably because they couldn't see each other for long spans of time, Atemu reluctant to go into the city and the journey to the village too far for Yugi and his ailing grandfather to take often. The reason didn't really matter to Atemu, just the feel of Yugi's arm around him.

He hummed to himself, using his free hand to trace the muscles on Yugi's arm, ignoring the other crew membersas he lost himself in Yugi. They all understood anyway, they were used to him being like this for the first day of the season. They all knew that he would be back to normal by tomorrow. Atemu smiled to himself, leaning back at an awkward angle to kiss Yugi's bicep before shifting back into his original position, closing his eyes and just listening to Yugi talk, thinking wistfully of a time when Yugi's voice hadn't been so confident.

They had met on their first day on the Puzzle, Yugi a short, skinny boy who would never look up at anyone. Atemu had been the only one to try and get him to open up, encouraging him to speak and standing up for him. Slowly, Yugi had opened up, first to him then to everyone else on the Puzzle. They had remained good friends despite the distance between them for most of the year. But that had changed when they had hit puberty; they had fallen into bed together in a drunken tangle and had woken up without any memories of the night before, but both of them sore. Atemu had lived for weeks in fear that he had somehow managed to get pregnant from that one time, unable to look Yugi in the eyes because of the mistake they had both made. Eventually, the fear had retreated, leaving only memories of warmth and awkwardness between him and Yugi.

Somehow or another, Atemu couldn't quite remember the chain of events, they had ended up together again; the pattern repeating for many nights before Atemu would even admit that he was in love. Yugi was the first one to admit it, Atemu following him in a rush of words that was only silenced by Yugi kissing him. They had been together since then, trying to spend more time with each other than the one season on the Puzzle. Before Solomon Mutou had fallen ill, Yugi would take weeks off during the hotter months in the city, escaping the bout of summer illnesses. Yugi would come down to Atemu's village and spend the lazy afternoons with him. Atemu had been more than willing to visit Yugi, but Yugi had begged him not to come, saying that the city wouldn't allow them to be together. And Atemu knew that he was right.

Skelilia was not a planet made for cities, most of it covered in forests of fast growing trees, the roads nearly impossible to keep completely clear. The few cities that were established fought hard to keep themselves clear of the trees, but that had been the invader's fault, settling where the trees grew instead of the clearings like the villages. But, because of that, they hated the natives that opposed them; and any native who lived in a village was counted as that. In the cities, the rule that no native could be married to an offworlder was enforced ruthlessly, a rule ignored in the villages outside of the petty jurisdiction of the city. Atemu shivered at the thought, remembering the screaming that could be heard from the port of the people punished for that.

He relaxed as Yugi wrapped his arms more tightly around him, whining softly and trying to wriggle closer. Atemu tensed at the laughter from the rest of the men, blushing and pressing his face into Yugi's shirt, the steadying presence of Yugi's hand on his back not encouraging him to look out.

He always got this way at the beginning of the summer season. With Yugi here again, and some of the men that he had always admired for some reason or another, he would suddenly become a mess, always cuddling up to Yugi or someone else in Yugi's absence. Thankfully, all the members of the crew understood. Atemu had heard horror stories from others like him on other skimmers, about how they had been taken advantage of in their weakness and returned to their villages in disgrace. He shivered at the memory, Yugi comforting him again.

Atemu smiled, looking up from his place at the few who were still gathered around, realizing that only a few were left, most of the crew having headed to sleep. He sat up in Yugi's lap, glancing at his cup before quickly downing the rest, placing it to one side so he wouldn't be tempted. He was drunk already; he didn't want to be so drunk that he didn't remember the night before. He glanced up at Yugi, watching the purple light from the moon play over his lover's features, feeling a bolt of arousal shoot through him. The purple light of the moon always brought out Yugi's eyes, his beautiful purple eyes; still wide and innocent, lacking any of the malice that the city dwellers usually had.

He was straddling Yugi's lap before he knew it, running a hand through Yugi's hair and nearly purring as Yugi kissed his neck. He grabbed a fistful of Yugi's shirt, pulling himself closer to his lover, smirking as he felt Yugi's breathing hitch. He turned his attention back to Yugi's neck, arching his back as Yugi continued to run his hand over it, whimpering in disappointment when Yugi tried to push him away. Atemu shifted closer, struggling against Yugi.

"Atemu," Yugi grunted with the effort of forcing him to sit up, Atemu staring at him as he was held at arms length. "Don't give me that look; I'm not rejecting you completely."

"But Yugi…"

"You'll hate yourself in the morning."

"I won't."

"You will. I know you." Yugi sighed and relaxed, Atemu taking advantage of the motion to curl up close to Yugi again. He sighed happy as Yugi went back to touching him, just running his hand down Atemu's side. He felt Yugi's breath on his neck as his lover ducked his head, Atemu closing his eyes and allowing Yugi to hold him close. "Please, don't tempt me."

Atemu turned his head, staring into Yugi's eyes, Yugi turning to look at him as well. They stared at each other for a while, Atemu seeing resignation flickering across Yugi's face. They both knew what was going to happen, especially after going so long without seeing each other; they both felt the pull towards the other, too strong to resist. Atemu shivered as Yugi's eyes darkened, shifting restlessly on his lover's lap.

Yugi tackled him to the ground, Atemu staring up at him as Yugi pinned him down, the two of them panting as they stared at each other. The tableau held for a moment before Yugi leaned down to kiss Atemu.

Atemu shivered under Yugi, his eyes rolling back as the fierce kiss continued, feeling like he was being devoured; that thought turning him on even more. Atemu moaned, trying to arch up to press against Yugi, only to have his lover move away. He opened his eyes with a whimper, Yugi drawing away from him, panting for breath. Atemu's gaze darted to Yugi's throat as the man swallowed, Yugi stalling as Atemu waited impatiently. Some part of Atemu's mind said that Yugi was right to try and encourage him to think about this. Maybe it was better to flip them over and take Yugi, but Atemu rebelled against that. He wanted to feel Yugi moving over him, in him.

That thought pushed him into motion, Atemu reaching up to pull Yugi's shirt off, his lover remaining still as he worked. Yugi ducked his head, allowing Atemu to pull the shirt over his head before letting it fall and pool around his wrists, not lifting his hands from the ground. Atemu wiggled out of Yugi's hold on him, reaching up to run his fingers over Yugi's chest, tracing the outline of the muscles there, watching Yugi shiver as he brushed over sensitive spots. Disappointed with his lover's lack of movement, Atemu sat up a bit, following the trail of his fingers with his lips, Yugi's trembling increasing until Atemu was pinned to the ground again, Yugi's lips moving hungrily over his.

Yugi's shirt was thrown to the side, Yugi taking that moment to smooth his hands over Atemu's side, reaching for the bottom of Atemu's shirt before pulling it over his head, letting it fall to the side as he returned to his work. Atemu moaned, reaching up to undo Yugi's pants, only to have his hand caught.

His lover stared at him for a moment before holding both of his wrists with one hand, keeping them steady against the ground while his free hand fumbled with the tie on his pants. Atemu tried to draw Yugi back down to him, struggling against the hold on his wrists as Yugi kicked his pants off, hesitating for a moment before undoing the tie on Atemu's pants. Atemu gave a drawn out whine of approval, trembling as Yugi's hand stroked the inside of his thigh before Yugi pulled his pants off, leaving the two of them completely bare.

Atemu looked up at Yugi, awkwardly lifting his torso up so he could kiss his lover, encouraging Yugi to rest over him. Yugi was pleasantly warm compared to the ground, despite the fact that it was the summer season. He gasped as Yugi ran a hand down his side, stopping to rest on his hips. Atemu shifted a bit at that, Yugi calming him with gentle strokes to the skin there, Atemu slowly relaxing.

It was only when Atemu was laying still that Yugi guided himself into Atemu, the two of them moaning at the feeling of being joined. Atemu's eyes fluttered shut as Yugi remained still for a moment, sure that he should be embarrassed for being so wet, so ready for Yugi despite all of his lover's protests, but that thought was forgotten as Yugi began to move. He made a high pitched sound, finally wrestling his wrists from his lover's hold to wrap his arms around Yugi's shoulders, pulling them close so he could feel the play of Yugi's muscles against his skin, feel the beat of Yugi's heart against him. He felt Yugi hum in approval, his lover increasing his pace.

He adored these brief moments when Yugi was in charge, enjoying the feeling of having someone overpower him, if only for a moment. Atemu was usually the stronger one out of the two, Yugi preferring to keep quiet and to himself than to barge into trouble. Yugi was the one who often kept him from trouble. But there were a few moments when Yugi would show his true strength and that turned Atemu on more than anything else.

He writhed under Yugi, trying to encourage his lover to speed up, getting a few quick thrusts for his efforts before Yugi slowed down, panting in his ear. Atemu tried to roll his head away from the puffs of warm air that were sending shivers down his spine, unable to do anything as Yugi finally settled on a rhythm, Atemu rolling his hips up to meet Yugi's every thrust.

Soon, everything around him became unimportant, his whole being focused on Yugi. They shared a few, fleeting kisses, neither of them able to concentrate on them. Atemu pulled back, gasping for breath and whispering endearments when he could as Yugi continued to thrust into him, Atemu wrapping his legs around Yugi's waist to encourage him to go deeper, his body shaking as his end neared. It had been too long and Yugi inside him felt too good.

"Yugi…"

"I know. Please just…please." Yugi grunted as he thrust in harder, that jolt enough to send Atemu over the edge. He bit back a scream, holding Yugi close as he came, feeling Yugi jerk as his lover reached his end as well.

Atemu shivered, nuzzling Yugi's neck as he came down from his orgasm, feeling Yugi sigh against his skin before shifting; draping himself over Atemu so that he wouldn't be crushed. He sighed at the motion, turning his head so he could whisper into Yugi's ear. "Aibou."

Yugi tensed for a moment before relaxing and nodded, one hand going to the stone around his neck. "Forever."

Atemu hummed happily, settling back down and flinching at the uneven ground under him. He opened one eye to look at Yugi, leaning up to kiss him before settling back down. "We're going to be sore tomorrow."

"Definitely." Yugi gave a sleepy chuckle. "From the drinking and this, yeah. But you got that all out of your system?"

"Probably." Atemu yawned, drifting off to sleep. "But never you."

He thought he heard Yugi laugh, raising a hand to rest on his lover's back as Yugi used him as a pillow. "I hope not."

* * *

Atemu shifted, groaning as he opened his eyes and tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down; trying to move as Yugi gently stroked a hand through his hair. Atemu thought about resisting for a moment before completely relaxing, allowing Yugi to do what he wanted. He opened one eye to look at the deck of the Puzzle, not surprised to see a few of the crew splayed out over the deck, most of them near the sides so they could just pull themselves up and vomit over the rail. He sighed and shut his eye, flipping over to his other side and wrapping an arm around Yugi's waist.

They had done well in the month that they had been out, the cargo bay almost full of fruit and goods that would be traded in the villages and sold in the city. Atemu partially lifted his head from Yugi's lap to see where they were, catching a glimpse of blue water through the gaps in the railing before lowering his head back down. They were still over the water, but he was willing to bet that they were heading inland towards the forests, which was a good thing. It would be easy to stop at a village and get something to help with the sickness that most of the crew seemed to have gotten.

Most attributed it to bad fruit or their supplies starting to go bad, neither of which was out of the ordinary on the skimmers, but the mass sickness was something new. Atemu shivered, pressing his face into Yugi's stomach. At the worst it could be a plague, but he doubted it. The summer was, after all, the season of sickness with the humidity and the blazing weather. Even the natives were prone to a few of the summer illnesses that went around. It was probably just some stomach bug that was going around, helped by the fact that it was nearly impossible to keep the skimmer and its crew completely clean.

But that still didn't explain his situation.

He would be among the ones who were throwing up along the rail in the morning, but the nausea would ease during the day. Yugi still wouldn't let him work, even though Atemu insisted that he was fine. Yugi seemed to be preoccupied with a lot of things over the last month. Atemu frowned at that, rolling away from Yugi, staring up at his lover. He reached up to touch Yugi's cheek, smiling when Yugi leaned into his hand. "Hey."

"Hey." Atemu shivered as Yugi's hand slid to rest over his stomach. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah." He went to get up again only to be pushed down, looking up at Yugi in confusion, his lover brushing his bangs out of his face.

"Don't bother, we've hit a nice wind and the Puzzle is skipping along. We'll be over the forest by nightfall. The ones that can move are sorting through the cargo and checking over the list for the first village."

"What about you?"

"I have you to take care of." Yugi smiled before turning his head to kiss Atemu's palm, the smile on his face disappearing quickly. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I've never felt better." Atemu rolled away from Yugi before sitting up, ignoring Yugi's protest to look around, smiling as he recognized the islands that they were moving past. All of the spires had already been stripped by the skimmers that had gotten a late start or those that had braved the early storms of the season. Atemu reached for Yugi's hand, holding it tightly as he stared out over the water, watching the sun sink low in the sky, lighting up the clouds and painting them in pastels, Atemu sighing happily. He never got this view of the sky if he was at home, unless he decided to climb a tree, something that he never did. Sunsets seemed to be better when viewed from the deck of a skimmer.

"Hey, oh…No, wait. Oi!" Atemu's head jerked up toward the crow's nest, watching as Marik leaned over the edge, squinting at something in the distance. He felt Yugi tense beside him, Atemu turning to look at where Marik was looking. For a moment, he didn't see anything, squinting against the glare of the sun. Faintly on the horizon, and moving closer, was a black dot. Atemu sat up straighter, barely paying attention to Marik as he scrambled out of the crow's nest, running below to find Valon.

Yugi got up from his place at his side, walking over to the rail and leaning over, staring at the approaching skimmer. Atemu shivered at the sudden tense atmosphere, even the sick members of the crew werelooking around nervously. He glanced over at all of them, flinching when he realized that they had about four men who would be ready to fight, five if they counted him; but he had a feeling that Yugi wouldn't allow him to fight. Atemu swallowed nervously, standing up slowly. He glanced to the side, his eyes widening as he picked out another one approaching, glancing at Yugi.

It wasn't unusual to spot another skimmer as they came to the forests, most of the skimmers heading towards their chain of villages around the same time. But no skimmer hurried across the water, wasting what precious fuel that they had. It was much simpler to just let the wind help the skimmer across, the engine only used to keep the skimmer afloat. And spotting two skimmers at one outside the boundaries of the forest was extremely rare, at least if you were looking to find friendly people.

Atemu tightened his grip on the rail, staring at the second skimmer that was approaching them before turning around, intending to run and tell Valon what was going on. Instead, he stumbled back, watching as a third skimmer rose out of the shelter of the spire, rushing towards them from behind. Atemu cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Raiders!"

The crew sprung into action as best as they could, the sick ones staggering around the deck and pulling out knives as well as the long, sharp poles that they used to harvest the fruit. The few healthy crew members rushed up from below, Valon bounding after them and rushing to the wheel. Atemu saw Valon take stock of the three ships, his hand hovering over the lever that would send the Puzzle forward at a greater speed, the captain's fingers twitching before his hand dropped back to his side. Atemu's heart pounded faster at the motion, they couldn't escape that, so they would have to fight.

He turned, starting when he saw that Yugi was standing in front of him. His lover started to shake his head, Atemu catching his chin and pulling Yugi into a brief kiss. "Don't ask me to stay out of this."

"Atemu…"

"Yugi, if they take us then we all die." He watched Yugi hesitate, raising his hands to rub them over Yugi's arms. "Aibou, please, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Me too, but there's always the chance…" Yugi didn't want to voice that chance anymore than Atemu did.

"Hold strong, aibou. And I'll see you at the end of this fight." That got a smile out of Yugi, his lover quickly pulling himself together before turning to look at the ship that was the closest to him; Yugi pulling his knife out of his pocket. Atemu nodded, reaching out to pull Yugi into a one-armed hug before reaching for his own knife, turning to face the oncoming ship.

* * *

Yugi stumbled backwards, wiping the sweat off of his forehead before punching the raider in the face, scurrying backwards again. He panted for breath, twisting to jump into the rigging, using his knowledge to the Puzzle to his advantage. Maybe it would be enough to keep this raider off his tail.

The ships had swarmed the small skimmer as soon as they were close enough for sailors to swing over, Yugi shuddering at the memory. What was worse was that they were careful enough not to harm the Puzzle, meaning that they wanted the skimmer as well. If the raiders won, all the crew would be slaughtered, Yugi's stomach rolling at the thought of Atemu dead.

He quickly switched his hold on a rope, swinging around to kick the raider in the face, watching as the man lost his balance and tumbled over the side, Yugi jumping at the sound of the body hitting something solid. Forgetting about the battle for a moment, he peered over the side of the Puzzle, his mouth dropping open in shock as he watched the trees pass by underneath the hull of the skimmer. The fact that they had made it over the water was good and bad, good because there was a chance that another friendly skimmer or group of villagers could help them; bad because anyone who fell over had a higher chance of being killed.

Yugi shivered and hoisted himself higher into the rigging, ducking his head as a grapple and rope sailed over his head, the metal prongs of the grapple grabbing the mast. Yugi hissed and scurried over to the rope, quickly cutting it free before moving away. He hoped that someone was guarding the engines, without those they would be dead; Valon wouldn't be able to urge the skimmer into motion to escape the raiders when a hole opened up.

He dropped back down to the deck, throwing his knife into the back of a man that was menacing Tristan, rushing by to scoop it up before hurrying to the bow where most of the crew was. Yugi got a better grip on the knife before plunging into the fight, twisting to avoid a blow and slashing across a raider's side, watching the man fall before moving onto the next one. He spared a glance toward the group fighting, tensing when he realized that Atemu was not among them. A quick glance back showed that his lover was back with Valon, helping the captain keep the raiders from doing anything to the engine. Yugi turned back to the group of fighters he was with, backing up until he was surrounded by his own crew.

Duke glanced his way, raising an arm to wipe the sweat from his forehead, pushing back his black bangs with the move. "Alright there?"

"Yeah. Fine."

Duke nodded slowly, Yugi glancing over at him, cursing the fact that there wasn't a moon out. With the moon they would be able to see where the other ships were, whether they were rescuers or more attackers. Everyone knew that raiders hunted in packs. But there was nothing but the pressing darkness and the shadows of the people around him, Yugi shifting his grip on the knife and tensing at the raiders began to make their way forward again, Yugi rushing to meet them with the rest of the crew.

He felt fabric and flesh give way beneath his knife, Yugi stumbling back as the tide of raiders became too much for them, tripping over a body splayed out on the deck of the Puzzle before finding his balance. He looked around for anyone to guard his side, surprised to see that the others were holding their own; it was only him that had gotten surrounded. Yugi gritted his teeth and lunged forward, smirking as one of his attackers fell away.

His victory was short lived, Yugi scrambling up onto the rail of the ship, keeping his balance there as the others tried to get them. He glanced up at the empty line that dangled above him. Usually a sail would be here to help them with the wind, but it had been hauled in earlier on, the fabric having a huge hole in it. If he could jump up and grab the line, then he would be able to outmaneuver his attackers. Yugi smirked, putting his knife between his teeth before he reached up for the line.

The Puzzle gave a sudden jerk, Yugi waving his arms in an attempt to keep his balance, glancing back at the engines. He didn't know if the Puzzle had been hurt or if Valon was trying to make a break, not having the time to think much on either before the skimmer jerked again, Yugi losinghis footing and falling from the rail.

He didn't have time to scream, the branches of the trees scratching against his skin as he plunged into the canopy. Yugi twisted to fall stomach first, reaching up to try and grab onto the branches with his hands, but he was falling toofast. He grunted and tried to keep a hold of a branch, only getting his hands rubbed raw for his troubles. Yugi glanced down, getting a glimpse of a thick branch before he landed across it. The impact winded him, Yugi opening his mouth and gasping for breath, dropping his knife.

Dazedly, he watched the knife spin down as long as he could before the darkness swallowed it up, Yugi coughing and slumping over the branch, turning his head at a low crack. His eyes widened as he stared at the end of the branch, noting that there had been damage done to thislimb recently, and his hard landing on the wood hadn't helped matters. Yugi gave a breathless curse, turning himself on the branch, trying to pull himself up it beyond the break so he would be safe. He started to inch forward, his limbs trembling with the effort. When he got down from this tree, he would stumble to the nearest village and sleep for a week.

Yugi smiled to himself and pulled himself forward again, his hand brushing over the break before the branch gave, Yugi gasping in shock before he was falling again. He let go of the branch, trying to curl so that he could protect his neck and eyes, peeking out of one only to see the ground coming up quickly. Yugi braced himself for impact, yelping as he landed hard on the ground, bouncing once before rolling to a stop.

He heard the shower of debris from the branch that had broken, Yugi weakly looking up to watch them fall, his whole body shaking from the effort. He coughed, tasting blood in his mouth, Yugi groaning and letting his head fall back to the ground, not sure that he could move. All he knew was that everything hurt; Yugi opening one eye and staring at the ground in front of him, moving his fingers to get a better grip on the ground. Maybe if he held on to something, he wouldn't drift off, he wouldn't just leave. Yugi shook as he coughed again, the sound ending with a sob from the pain that was radiating through his body, Yugi slumping to the ground and his fingers relaxing.

His fingers brushed over a soft cord, Yugi turning his head, trying to see what he was touching, but it was too dark. He pulled the cord closer, walking his fingers up it to try and see what was on the end, recognizing the feel of the cord a moment later. It was his necklace, the one that Atemu had given to him when they had gotten engaged. He gave a weak smile, his fingers searching for the stone at the end. He didn't need to see it anymore; he had stared at it so many times. It was red, almost the color of Atemu's eyes but, then again, nothing could match the color of Atemu's eyes, Yugi remembering the color of crimson exactly; but the stone was a good match. Red with flecks of darker red in it, smoothed by a professional in Atemu's village and by his own fingers over the countless thousands of rubs he had given the stone, exploring its teardrop shape.

Yugi gave a shuddering sigh as he reached the end of the cord, afraid for a moment that the cord had broken and the stone had fallen somewhere else entirely when his fingers encountered it. He smiled as he brushed over the cold stone with his fingers, caging it protectively with his fingers before he closed his eyes, giving one last sigh.

* * *

Atemu winced as Tristan finished applying the bandage to the cut over his eye, sitting up straight as the man stepped back. He shook his head, blowing his bangs away from his eyes with a sigh, his happiness lasting a moment before he had to run over to the rail and throw up over the side, clinging to the wood as his body expelled his dinner and what little he had eaten for breakfast, Atemu sinking back to the deck as soon as the nausea subsided, looking miserably up at the rest of the crew gathered around. He sat up as straight as he could as he noticed that one was missing. "Where's Yugi?"

The crew shifted nervously, none of them wanting to look at him, not even Duke. Atemu cursed and hauled himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the rail. "Where's Yugi?"

"He went over."

"What?" Tristan was the one to shout out the question, Atemu just making a high pitched noise and nearly falling, Tristan lunging forward to catch him. Atemu leaned against the brunette, staring at the crew and waiting for someone to tell him that this was a joke, or waiting for Yugi to stumble out of some spot that he had wedged himself in during the course of the night; but nothing happened. He just stared up at all of their serious faces, glancing over to Duke and Valon before looking at Tristan. Apparently this was news for Tristan as well, the brunette staring at the other crew members in horror.

Atemu grunted as Tristan suddenly let go of him, stumbling backward to catch himself on the rail, watching as the brunette charged forward. "This isn't funny guys. They were engaged!"

Duke glared at Tristan, shoving him away when he got too close. "We wouldn't joke about this! What makes you think that we would?"

Atemu stared at them, watching as the crew converged on the two, trying to keep them apart. He tried to understand what was going on around him, watching as his friends fought, but unable to think about anything other than the fact that they had lost Yugi. A whimper escaped him, Atemu feeling his legs give way.

Someone caught him, Atemu too busy staring at the deck of the Puzzle, not sure that he could think about anything else but his partner, staring at the horrible blood streaks on the wood, feeling his stomach roll. No one said anything about Yugi being alive. He might have been killed and then tossed over the side. Atemu reached up to hang onto the person that was keeping him up.

"Hey, easy there." He looked up at Marik, his gaze dropping to the stones that Marik wore around his neck, sure that a sob escaped him; but Marik was already pulling him back towards the crew's quarters, Atemu clinging to him. "That's it, Atemu, just stay with Marik. I'll take care of you."

He was led back to his hammock, Yugi's the one hanging right above his, but it was the one that was almost never used. Marik pushed him back into the hammock, squatting on the floor beside him and giving Atemu a soft smile. "Just hold on for a while, yeah? We're going to see if we can find another skimmer to warn off the others and then we're putting into the nearest village. The Puzzle is banged up real bad."

"Yugi?"

Marik paused before shaking his head. "We can't go back for him; we don't even know where he fell."

"He could still be alive."

"Probably not though." Marik sighed and stood up. "Do yourself a favor, Atemu, don't try and think about it too much. We can't get him back. He was a great man, but he's gone."

"No!" Atemu almost lurched out of his hammock, Marik's glare keeping him still. "If it had happened to 'Kura or Ryou, you would do something. You know you would!"

He saw Marik flinch before turning to walk out of the room, Atemu staring at his back before slumping, staring at the floor. He managed that for a few minutes before rolling onto his back and staring up at the hammock above him, his mind tormenting him and trying to tell him that Yugi would roll out of the hammock and come to cuddle with him at any moment; that this was all just a bad dream. Atemu sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes, cursing before flipping over to his side, and shutting his eyes. If anyone wanted to come and look for him, they would have to tear him out of his sleep, he didn't want to have to face the world right now, and sleeping sounded like a better idea.

Atemu was lulled to sleep by the steady rock of the Puzzle, thankful that it was a dreamless sleep, not wanting to seem images of Yugi broken on the ground, torn and bloody. He drifted, starting slightly as a hand landed on his shoulder and shook him, Atemu snapping awake immediately and rolling out of his bunk. Out of habit, he cast a glance back at Yugi's bunk, the pain coming back fresh at the sight of the empty bunk. He turned away, trying to gather the effort to care at he stared at the captain.

Valon seemed to understand, resting a hand on his shoulder before steering him out of the room, Atemu glancing around and noting that most of the crew except for the two on night watch were asleep. He sighed and shuffled out after Valon, staring at the deck as he was led to the bow of the Puzzle. Atemu barely glanced up at Valon as the captain settled himself against the railing, not wanting to look around at anything, the effort of raising his gaze too much.

A sigh from the captain finally made him look up, Atemu watching as Valon stared at the deck of the Puzzle before shaking his head. "I can't do it Atemu." Atemu just tipped his head, waiting for Valon to continue to speak, the captain seeming surprised at his silence. He recovered a moment later. "I'm a coward, I want to turn the Puzzle back for home and keep what's left of my crew safe. The raiders are getting too bold for my tastes. We might have to ask for guards, if the ships will hold them. The smaller skimmers might just go out of business."

Valon shook his head, obviously waiting for Atemu to speak. Atemu just stared back at his captain, Valon eventually slumping. "Listen, Atemu, I know losing hit you hard, it hit all of us hard. He's been around this ship for as long as I can remember. But that doesn't mean that you have to give up…" Valon stared at him for a moment before sighing. "But I understand how you feel now. Felt that way when I lost Mai to those damn raiders."

The caption shivered for a moment before nodding to himself, looking down at the rail of the skimmer. "Listen, I'm going to drop you off at your village along with the rest of the supplies and then work to get the Puzzle back to Danysia safe with the rest of the crew alive. I'll arrange for the supplies and stuff to be sent, but I just don't trust the route anymore. Don't come to the city, Atemu, I'll swing by and ask if I can get anymore runs in with guards. Just," he reached out to touch Atemu's arm, holding it steady, "don't do anything stupid, alright?"

He nodded slowly, Valon watching him carefully before letting go of his arm and walking back to his quarters. Atemu watched him go before turning to look out at the area that the Puzzle was passing through, part of him hoping that he would just get tossed over when the Puzzle hit a patch of winds. He tightened his grip on the railing, fear making his stomach turn. He didn't want to die, not even if Yugi was dead, and that disappointed him. Shouldn't he be ready to die if his lover was dead as well? He felt as if his whole life had ended, stopping at the moment that he found out that Yugi wasn't with him anymore. The ache was still there even now.

Atemu leaned over the rail for a moment, staring at the trees as they moved quickly underneath the Puzzle; Valon must have been pushing the skimmer as fast as it could go. Atemu sighed and took a step back, glancing ahead of them before turning to walk back into his crew's quarters, just wanting to sleep for the entire journey back home.

_

* * *

Alright, this is going to be updated over three days, as there are three chapters to it. I hope you all enjoyed._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the length of the chapter, but I honestly couldn't find a place to break it where it wouldn't be ridiculously short.

**

* * *

Chapter Two**

Atemu glanced back up at the Puzzle, watching the rest of the crew pass down the cargo they had promised for the other villages, the villages they had skipped over to get here. He watched as Duke carefully lowered the last crate down, Valon already talking with one of the merchants that was at this end of the village, the end with the largest clearing where the skimmers could moor for the night. But Valon was staying only long enough to drop off his promised supplies and head back to Danysia, the increasing threat of raiders too much for the captain of the Puzzle.

There had been three more reports before they landed at the village, one of those reports coming from a skimmer that had been attacked three times and was no more than a limping hulk in the air. The crews whispered that the raiders had found some of the secret routes that the skimmer captains used and that someone was giving them the exact location of the skimmers to have such precise attacks. Those reports were enough to set Valon on an even higher alert, the captain setting out guards for all hours, even Atemu who had still not recovered from his stomach bug. He spent most of his morning watch throwing up the contents of his stomach and most of his meals feeling his stomach churn nauseatingly at the sight of food.

He gagged at the thought of food, leaning over in case he lost what little he had eaten over the past few days, standing up unsteadily as he regained control of his rebelling stomach. Atemu swallowed nervously, glancing back at the skimmer before getting a better hold of his bag, turning to walk down the main street of the village. He had a long way to cover, the distance between the skimmer landing field and his house almost set an entire village apart. Atemu felt his knees shake at that thought; he was already running on almost no sleep and food, unable to settle to sleep at night and unable to eat anything. He hoped his mother would have something to help him; he was tired of existing like this.

He stumbled down the street, looking around at all the shops and noticing that they were closed, frowning for a moment before he remembered. The festival, it had to be. He hadn't gone in years because the skimmer season ran right over it, but his family went every year to show off what they had made, brightly colored threads from his mother and sister, andhis father would haul the baskets of fruit from the tress that grew in their backyard. They would stay the whole day for the huge dinner that was made by everyone in the village, anddancing. His sister would probably try to catch the eye of a few boys, but she was that age.

Atemu tried to summon up a smile at that thought, the expression dying on his face as he remembered the one time he had brought Yugi to one of the winter festivals, held in the great hall in the middle of the winter season so the villagers wouldn't go mad being stuck in their houses. He could remember Yugi's delight at everything, something wonderful for a man from the city and the way Yugi's eyes had sparkled as he had asked his lover to dance.

He shook his head, stumbling a bit with the move before forcing himself to keep walking. All he had to do was get home and then he could collapse. He would stumble up the stairs to his bed and wrap himself up in the blanket that Yugi had made him and then sleep; hopefully he could sleep the bug off. Then, his mother could help him with any remedies she knew. And, slowly, he would try to get over Yugi, something that Atemu doubted would happen.

A glance to the side showed that he was passing the woodworking shop, Atemu pausing to look at the beautiful carvings that were displayed outside, guessing that some of the best were at the festival. He had once aspired to work there, before he knew that the skimmer business paid better. Atemu shook his head, adjusting his bag one more time before turning back toward the street, trying not to feel too unnerved that no one was out. It would be better that way though; he wouldn't have to explain what he was doing home so early in the season.

The sight of his house made him speed up, Atemu forcing his tired body to keep moving. He sighedwith relief, stumbling into the door, leaning against it to catch his breath before pushing the door open. He glanced around the room to be sure that nothing had changed before climbing the stairs to the second floor, stumbling down the short hallway and into his room. His pack was nearly thrown to one side, Atemu making a mental note to remind himself to take his pay from one of the pockets, before he collapsed onto his bed. He kicked his shoes onto the floor, reaching for the blanket that was at the end of his bed, running his fingers over the colorful pattern on it before wrapping himself up in it. He stared at the wall for a moment, basking in the safety that he felt in the familiar setting before he drifted off to sleep.

It only seemed like a few minutes before he was jolted awake by the sound of the door opening downstairs, Atemu blinking blearily before sitting up in bed, rubbing some sleep from his eye. He slipped out of bed, giving the blanket a caress before moving towards his door, coming to a dead stop with wide eyes as the scent of freshly baked pies drifted up from downstairs. And his stomach rebelled.

Atemu turned around; rushing over to the chamber pot that sat in the corner of his room, sure that he wouldn't make it out to the latrine out back. Nothing came up at first, Atemu dry heaving for a moment before spitting out a mouthful of bile, making a face at the taste before slumping, pushing himself away from the chamber pot in disgust.

"Hello?" He lifted his head from where it restedagainst the wall, twitching as he felt his stomach twist again, a sure sign of another bout of vomiting, Atemu grimacing at the thought. What he wouldn't give for this to just stop. He turned his attention back to the sound of voices downstairs, recognizing his mother's voice. He pushed himself slightly away from the wall, clearing his throat and trying to force his feelings of nausea away as she called out again. "Who's there?"

"It's me, Mom!"

His mother paused for a moment, Atemu tensing, his fingers twitching as he prepared to roll over for another round. He heard her running up the stairs, smiling to himself for a moment before another roll of his stomach forced him back over the chamber pot, his body shaking as his body tried to expel nothing, ending up coughing as he sat back with a groan.

"Atemu?"

He rolled his head to the side, too exhausted to put forth the effort to turn it, managing a smile to try and ease his mother's worry, the ploy not working. She just shook her head, lifting her skirt a bit off the ground so she could rush over to his side, kneeling on the floor beside him and raising a hand to rest on his forehead. Atemu leaned into her cool touch, relaxing as his mother pulled him into a hug. He turned, pressing his face into her shoulder and his shivered, trying to hold back his tears but failing, nearly throwing himself at her as he sobbed.

She tensed for a moment before hugging him close, running a hand through his hair and down over his back. "What's wrong, Atemu? Why are you home so early?"

"R-raiders." He felt her tense, Atemu shaking his head. "They attacked us."

"Oh no, are you alright?"

"No."

"Oh gods." Atemu felt his mother shift, sitting up straight partially. "Akhnamkanon! Atemu's back, and he's hurt!"

"Not hurt." He took a shuddering breath, surprised when his mother stood up and guided him to the bed, Atemu sitting down as his father rushed into the room, looking at him in surprise. Akhnamkanon hesitated by the door before striding across the room. Atemu lifted his head, sniffing and wiping the tears from his cheeks as his father knelt down on the floor. He cleared his throat before speaking again, feeling his voice crack over the words. "I'm not hurt."

Both his mother and father relaxed at that, his mother nearly falling off the bed in her relief. Atemu looked at her before going back to staring at the ground, aware that both of his parents were staring at him. He knew that he would have to explain, Atemu trying to work up the courage to speak, taking a quick breath before looking up. The scent of the pies was still in the air, Atemu's stomach rolling. His eyes widened for a moment before he dashed off the bed and back over to the chamber pot, coughing up bile before slumping to the floor with a groan.

"Oh, Atemu." He felt his mother gather him up in her arms, Atemu rolling his head to the side to look at his father, Akhnamkanon looking pale. He turned back to his mother, Mayati arranging him carefully in her arms before glancing up at his father. "Go and find Isis."

He nodded and walked from the room, Atemu allowing his mother to pick him up and carry him over to the bed. He immediately rolled himself up in his blanket, his mother carefully stroking the bangs from his head. "What happened?"

"Lots of the crew got sick." Atemu shuddered and ducked his head, not wanting to chance the smell of the pies downstairs, there was nothing left in his stomach for him to throw up. He glanced up at his mother as she hummed.

"You look horrible."

"I feel horrible."

Mayati rolled her eyes before leaning over him. "Atemu, what happened? You said raiders attacked and then you came home sick."

He stared at his mother, trying to force his eyes to stay open. He just wanted to sleep, close his eyes and sleep for a few years, maybe then he would feel better. When he was asleep, he didn't think of how much he missed Yugi, how much it hurt to realize that Yugi was gone. When he was asleep, he didn't feel so horrible and wretched, like his stomach was trying to tear itself apart. He closed his eyes, feeling his mother's grip tighten on him. "I'm tired, Mom. I'm tired of being sick and tired of hurting." She made a confused sound, Atemu grunting as he pushed himself off the floor. "He's gone, Mom. During the attack, he fell and…I'm never going to see him again!"

"'Atemu…" Mayati shook her head and held him close, letting him cry onto her shoulder again.

He clung to her, all too soon running out of tears and just shivering miserably on her lap. Mayati rubbed his back, Atemu slowly becoming aware that she was humming something, recognizing one of the old lullabies that she had sung to him as a child. He found himself relaxingto the tune, when his mother interruptedher humming with a worried sigh. "You've lost weight."

"Can't eat anything." He reached for his blanket, Mayati already pulling it up over him, pausing when she realized which one it was. He watched her trace over the splashes of color before brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"You know he wouldn't want you to just waste away."

"I know. I'm not trying to." Atemu shut his eyes and gave a long sigh, shaking his head. "I feel horrible, but I want tolive...asmuch as I don't want to live without him. And…and it's just confusing."

She rested a hand on his shoulder. "I know, but give it time."

Atemu lifted his head from his pillow at the sound of the door opening downstairs, hearing his sister's confused greeting to the town's healer before the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Reluctantly, Atemu sat up, adjusting his blanket around him before looking up as Isis and Akhnamkanon walked back into the room, Isis giving him a smile. "You're back early."

He just whimpered at that, missing his mother's slow head shake, Isis giving an equally slow nod before turning back to look at Atemu. The woman walked over to the bed and sat down on it, reaching up to place her hands on Atemu's cheeks, frowning as she looked into his eyes before turning his head from side to side. "That cut above your eye."

"Few days old."

"Well, it's clean enough."

"It's from a raider." Atemu forced his voice not to quiver. "They attacked us."

Isis froze, her eyes going wide in fear. It was only then that Atemu remembered that she was related to Marik, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that Marik was alright, that would mean admitting that there was a casualty in the fight. And that just made him want to cry again.

Thankfully, Mayati spoke up. "Marik is fine." Her voice dropped. "They lost Yugi though."

"Yugi?" Isis looked at Atemu again, her thumbs rubbing over his cheeks for a moment before her hands dropped away from his face. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Atemu only managed a soft sigh in reply, sitting still as Isis pushed the rest of the blanket off him, running her fingers along his jaw bone and down his neck, frowning. "Shirt."

He leaned back and wriggled out of his shirt, tossing it to the side and letting her stare at him. He shivered as her cold hands landed on his sides, tracing up his ribs. "You've lost a lot of weight."

"I haven't been able to keep anything down. The crew got sick, some stomach bug."

"How long?"

"For them?" Isis shook her head, Atemu swallowing and mentally amending his reply. "For me? About two months now."

He heard his mother gasp, Isis shaking her head. Atemu just shrugged, tensing at her calculating look. Isis motioned for him to lay down, Atemu hesitating for a moment before following her order, staring up at her as she reached down to dig through the bag that she had brought with her. "Atemu, were you and Yugi sexually active?"

His throat closed up at the mention of his fiancée, Atemu turning his head to the side. He didn't want to think about Yugi, because then he would remember his smile, his laugh, the warmth that Yugi always regarded him with; and he would remember that he had lost all of that in a split second. Atemu coughed, trying to clear the obstruction in his throat before resorting to a nod, hearing the soft pop as Isis opened a jar. He caught the fleeting scent of something floral before Isis rubbed the oil onto his stomach, Atemu jumping and yelping. "Cold!"

"Well, at least I've still got you here." Isis gave him a wane smile before capping the jar, reaching up to tilt his chin to stare into his eyes. "And it looks like you'll be here for a while. Don't lose yourself Atemu, grieving won't bring him back."

"But it hurts."

"I know." She nodded, reaching down to rest her hand on his stomach. "Believe me, I know. It's the one thing that I cannot heal, that will not heal, at least not completely. It gets better with time. Trust me on this."

Atemu nodded slowly, Isis letting go of his chin and closing his eyes. He could trust Isis on this, she had once been happily married; the prettiest girl in town that year and married to her childhood sweetheart. Everything had been perfect, or so his mother had told him. He had been born a year too late to meet that Isis. The Isis he had always known had been silent and closed off and less inclined to smile or laugh. She had lost her husband to a bad storm, the man trying to help secure a skimmer when something had broken off of the wooden hull and impaled him. She hadn't been able to save him then, so she had thrown herself into the healing arts, focusing on that instead of grieving, the happy girl she had once been dead and buried with her husband.

He was jerked out of his thoughts as the oil on his stomach warmed quickly, Atemu shifting to try to get away from the almost burning sensation on his skin, Mayati reaching down to hold him still. He whimpered, trying to writhe when Isis began to talk, stopping his movements to listen to her voice. "We used to have magic or a more connectedness to the universe at large, whatever you want to call it. Magic is easier because more people accept it, even the ones who come from off planet. Besides, things can be sold for higher prices if they are magic." She chuckled to herself for a moment before sobering. "All of us have magic in a way, but no one can use it anymore, it was bred out of us long ago. But there are some ways to activate it again, so we can look and see what-Hello there, little one."

Atemu froze at that, staring at Isis cut herself off, closing her eyes with a smile. He stared at her, trembling as she reached for his hand with her free hand, encouraging him to sit up and rest his hand where her other one was. "Close your eyes and feel, Atemu."

He glanced at her and then his mother before following her instructions, letting his eyes slide shut and just concentrating on that warmth. He caught the floral scent for a fleeting instant before he felt something warm bubbling through his veins, a gentle warmth that reminded him of Yugi's smile, Atemu feeling the corner of his mouth twitch upward before he was distracted by something else. He vaguely remembered being asked to do something like this in the one room schoolhouse that all of the village children attended for a few years, long enough to learn rudimentary reading and writing and long enough to test if they could tap into the nearly dead magic that ran through their veins.

He could sense five life signatures in the room, one that he recognized immediately as himself. His mother and father followed after that, the two familiar and comforting. Isis was a cold presence, Atemu tempted to try and reach out to her when he focused on the fifth signature, the one that was, strangely enough, hidden by his own signature. Atemu frowned, trying to concentrate on it. It was in the room by him, no. In him.

His eyes flew open and he scrambled to the headboard, panting for breath as he stared at the others in the room before looking at Isis. She glanced at him before nodding slowly, Atemu swallowing nervously and letting his hand stray down to his stomach, reluctant to rest his hand on his skin in case he picked up that other presence again, trembling as Isis turned back to his mother and father. "Congratulations, you're going to be grandparents."

Atemu glanced up at his parents, flinching at the shocked expression on their faces before looking down again, his hands clutching at his blanket. He didn't want this, not right now. He was still mourning Yugi's death; he didn't want anything that would remind him of Yugi, especially not now. He glanced up at Isis, hoping that she would have a way to help him out of this, shocked to see that she was packing up. "Atemu, try and gain back that weight you lost, but don't go about eating for two, then that little one will be a pain to deliver. I'll be seeing you in a couple of months."

She glanced up at him, Atemu flinching at the look of disappointment she sent him. Isis sighed and scooted up the bed to sit by him. "Take care of yourself."

"Isis…"

"Listen, Atemu, this might not be the most welcome thing in the world, but it'll help you. If you just sit around you'll never get better." She nodded before standing up, getting ready to walk out of the room. Isis stopped and turned to look back at him, giving Atemu a soft smile, an expression that he had never seen on her. "At least you have something from the man you loved. Some of us don't even get that much."

She walked out of the room, leaving Atemu staring open mouthed at her. He glanced back at his parents, only then realizing that they were watching him carefully. He winced and reached for his shirt, suddenly feeling self conscious as he pulled it over his head, shrinking back against his headboard again. Atemu played with the hem of his shirt, glancing up at Akhnamkanon and Mayati before giving a helpless shrug. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Honey, it's not your fault." Mayati sat down on the bed, scooting closer to him.

"No, it is. I should have been more careful. I should have…" Atemu shook his head, pulling his knees up to his chest and staring down at the bed. "And I can't even _think_ about Yugi without wanting to cry and this…thing is part of Yugi and…and…"

"Give it a few days." His mother smiled at him, Atemu glancing over at her before ducking his head. "Just let yourself mourn for a few days and, when you're ready, come to me. We're not going to abandon you because of this Atemu."

She brushed his bangs out of his face, Atemu choking back a sob at the gentle caress. Yugi had done that to him so many times, Atemu almost taking the action for granted. But now that Yugi wasn't around, everything that he had done was precious. He rolled away from his mother, feeling her hesitate before she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "We'll be waiting for you, Atemu."

He didn't look up as she walked out of the room, staring at the wall as he listened to her walk away. He hunched his shoulders, trying to disappear into himself, listening as his father took hesitant steps over, the end of the bed sagging under him. Akhnamkanon sighed, Atemu not bothering to turn and look at him. He just got a pat on the shoulder before Akhnamkanon walked away, Atemu biting his lip to keep from crying. He was tired of crying, tired of being sick and tired of hurting. He wanted Yugi back, wanted Yugi to hold him and tell him that everything would be alright.

Atemu muffled a sob in his pillow, curling up on himself tighter and wrapping his arms around himself, hoping that it would be enough.

* * *

Atemu opened his eyes and stared at the wall, the usual morning sickness making his stomach roll. He groaned and pulled himself out of bed, taking the familiar route to the chamber pot and vomiting, Atemu trembling on his knees for a moment before wiping his mouth and leaning back against the wall.

He had lost track of the days of the week, spending his time either lying on the bed staring at the walls, sobbing until his throat ached, or sleeping. When he was hungry, he walked downstairs, his mother usually handing him something before he was sent back to his room. He hardly saw his father or his sister, something that he knew should have bothered him, but didn't.

But today was different, he could feel it. Atemu glanced back at his bed, suddenly feeling the need to get out of the house, to do something with himself. Yugi wouldn't have wanted him moping around and he was sure that his emotional state wasn't good for the baby. At that thought, Atemu pressed his hand against his stomach, looking down at it. While he couldn't conjure a smile at the thought of having Yugi's child, he still felt better than he had when Isis had broken the news to him.

Atemu let his hand drop from his stomach, staring at his room before standing up slowly, glancing around before walking over to where he had dropped his bag when he had gotten home. It would be best if he tried to do something while he felt like moving and existing.

He sat down on his bed, ruffling through his bag and completely unpacking. Nine months from now the skimmer season would be over, but he wouldn't be able to make his seasonal trips back to Danysia to work for the skimmers, he would have to take care of his child. He sighed and tapping his fingers against the fabric, staring at the end of his bed. He would have to get a job here, preferably before he couldn't move anymore. It would give him some stability when he felt he could go back to work. Besides, he needed to build up his fund tobuy his own house. His family's house would work for a while, but he would need his own space.

Atemu sighed and looked down at his belongings; a couple of changes of clothes, a few trinkets that he had carved from wood when he had down time, a sewing kit to repair his clothes, a money pouch with his pay inside of it and a stone on a string.

He hesitated before reaching out for the stone, picking it up and staring at it. The stone was smooth, swirls of purple and white decorating the surface with a few flecks of darker purple on it. He turned the stone in his hand, watching it catch the light from his one window, Atemu smiling at the stone. He had bought it despite the protests of the jeweler. There had been a stone that had been the perfect match for Yugi's eyes, but this one had caught his attention, had reminded him of Yugi completely. There was a stab of pain to his heart at the thought of Yugi, but it wasn't as debilitating as before. Atemu just smiled sadly before settling the stone around his neck. He was allowed to wear this, he and Yugi had been engaged after all.

He sighed before picking up his money and counting through it. His mother and father had held the rest of his money while he had been out on the skimmers, he could always ask for some it back when he needed it. But he was stuck here until he could leave the child alone and earn the rest of the money that was needed. Atemu sighed and let the coins fall through his fingers, his depression rising again.

They had planned that they would buy a house together, maybe in this village and maybe in another one, but it had always been together. They had always planned for it to be him and Yugi, maybe a kid or two later on, but it would just have been the two of them in the beginning. Atemu glanced down at the stone around his neck, reaching up his hand to hold it.

He had planned to wear it as soon as the skimmer season was over, when he led Yugi and Solomon to the village, to announce their engagement formally and show that they were planning on staying. He would never get that chance now. Atemu took a shaky breath, looking up at the thought of Yugi's grandfather. Valon would have gotten the news to the old man already, but he stillfelt that he should go and visit. But the thought of the city made him wince. Going to Danysia in his condition would be close to a death sentence. Someone would make the connection between his morning sickness and his condition and drag him in front of the authorities, which meant that he would be safer here as much as he hated it. He at least wanted to keep his promise to Yugi and bring Solomon out here.

Atemu glanced down at his small pile of coins again before scooping them up and stuffing them back in the bag. He would talk with his mother after he got a bath in the stream. He would be able to think better at that. He smiled to himself, digging out a new pair of clothes, grabbing the soap and towel that rested by the ewer of water in his room.

The house was quiet as he walked through it, Atemu pausing at the base of the stairs and wondering what day it was, shrugging to himself before walking into the small kitchen and out the backdoor. He cross the small open space before the orchard that grew in their yard, Atemu glancing up at the trees, relieved that the smell of the fruit didn't make his stomach turn, looking ahead to watch for the stream.

He heard the quiet burble of the water before he saw the stream, walking faster at the sight of the clear blue water. A smile crossed his face as he kicked off his shoes by the bank, taking off his socks before walking barefoot across the rocks and setting down his clothes and towel. Atemu glanced back towards the house before quickly stripping and slipping into the water, a shiver running up his spine at the temperature of the water. A moment later he sighed, amazed how being clean could make him feel better. He ducked his head under the water, shaking his hair out of his eyes as he came up before reached back for the soap.

Atemu quickly washed his hair and scrubbed at his skin before reaching for his clothes, cleaning them as best as he could before hauling himself back onto the rock, taking the towel and drying himself off as best as he could. Atemu shivered, slipping on his clean clothes before gathering up the rest of his clothes, deciding to forgo his shoes and walk barefoot back to the house, enjoying the feeling of the cool grass against the soles of his feet. He glanced up at the sky, some part of him hoping to see a skimmer making its way to Danysia before he shook his head. It was time he stopped staring up at the sky, that part of his life was over.

He sighed, pausing long enough to hang his wet clothes on the line before walking back into the kitchen, stopping short as he saw that his mother was in there, the two of them staring at each other. Mayati was the first to move, gently setting her bowl down and wiping her hands on her apron, looking at him for a while. He felt her gaze land on the stone that he wore around his neck before she looked up at his face. "Feeling better?"

"Not really." Atemu shrugged at her worried look, standing still as she walked over to hug him, breathing in her scent. Mayati smelled of the citrus fruits that grew out back, and bread, it was the scent that he had always associated with home until he had met Yugi. He slumped a bit at that thought, trying to recall what Yugi had smelled like, appalled when he couldn't remember. "I've forgotten…"

"Forgotten what?"

"What he smells like? My Yugi…" Atemu stared at the floor, shivering. He glanced up at his mother. "How long has it been?"

"A few weeks." Mayati let her hand rest on his shoulder. "Honestly, we were starting to worry about you. It isn't healthy for you to be grieving for so long."

"I alright, almost, now." He gave her a shaky smile before going to lean against the counter, watching as his mother went back to mixing the contents of the bowl. "I can think straight today so I'm taking advantage of it, because I don't know when I will be able to think like this again."

Mayati nodded slowly, Atemu taking that as his signal that he could talk. He glanced around the familiar kitchen as he gathered his thoughts. "I'll have to get a job." Mayati paused in her mixing, Atemu glancing over at her before sighing. "I can't go back to the city; probably ever so it'll have to be here. I need to start saving money to move out."

"Mana will be married soon."

"It doesn't matter, Mom. I can't stay here forever." He winced at the hurt look that passed over her face, sighing and shaking his head. "It's just…we had plans, Mom. I want to try and follow them."

"I understand. But you're welcome to stay here." His mother gave him a long look. "I hope you're not trying to get out for our sake."

"No. I'm just thinking about…" Atemu hesitated, reluctant to call the child an it, even though they wouldn't be able to tell the gender until it was born. He settled for clearing his throat, his mother seeming to understand what he was getting at. "I just can't live with you guys for the rest of my life, not with everything that's going on."

Mayati nodded again, Atemu relaxing a bit and rolling his shoulders, glad that he had gotten that out of the way. If he could stay focused for a few more hours, then he would allow himself to fall back into that bleak state, Atemu praying that he would get the time he needed. As much as he just wanted to mourn Yugi and not move, the fact that he was with child meant that he had to move quickly. There were only seven months left to get himself settled in the village, less than that because he would eventually lose his ability to move easily. Atemu swallowed harshly at that, resting his hand over his stomach.

His mother picked up on the move immediately, rushing over to him and nearly sending the bowl tumbling to the ground. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Atemu stared at her with wide eyes before shaking his head, relaxing when he realized what she was panicking about. "I was just thinking about later."

Mayati relaxed, sighing and resting a hand on his shoulder before glancing out towards the main room. "Well, as for jobs, your father still needs an apprentice, but I don't think you should do too much physical labor. Around the village I think most of the tradesmen are open for apprenticeships or help, most of the boys are going off to the skimmers because it pays better."

"We need the money."

"With the people from off planet we do. They keep inflating the prices with all of their demands." Mayati sighed and leaned against the counter. "I hear that those farther away from the city don't have to deal with it. The skimmer captains give them fair prices."

"The Puzzle always cut prices for villages."

Mayati paused, staring at him. "Those prices were _cut?_"

Atemu just nodded, watching his mother shake her head. "What is this world coming to? First those wars against the humans and then the cities. What's next?"

He chuckled, moving to stand in the doorway of the kitchen before pausing. With the competition for jobs so low, he could probably walk over to the woodworking shop and get the job that he had always wanted, Atemu smiling at that before walking quickly towards the stairs. Even if the owner had known him since he had been a kid, he wasn't going to risk messing up anything, he would bring some of the better carvings that he had around his room and hope that it would be enough to impress the man and get him the maternity leave that he would need.

* * *

Atemu looked up a the sound of an engine, setting down the piece of coal he was using to sketch a design before he stood up, peering through the windows of the shop towards the end of the main street, frowning when he couldn't get a good view of the skimmer's landing field. He sat back down, turning around as Siamun walked from the back of his shop, turning his head in confusion. "Were those skimmers I heard?"

He smiled at the elderly man that was his employer before shaking his head. "Only one. Strange, the others shouldn't be coming through here for a few weeks."

"Go out and see." Atemu hesitated, glancing back at the elderly man motioned for him to go ahead. "I know you'll want to see which one of them it is. Besides, they'll be bringing back wood for the city folk. Try and get me a good price on it."

He caught the bag of money thrown to him before nodding, standing up and rushing for the door, pushing it open and joining the trickle of people walking toward the skimmer field. Atemu noticed that most of them were apprentices or hired hands, like him. The craftsmen had stayed inside since it was only one skimmer. If there had been more, they would have come flocking out. Atemu glanced around the workshops thatlined the street before looking ahead.

His jaw dropped as he found himself staring at the Puzzle, the familiar skimmer even more battered than when he had left it a month ago. He shivered, glancing around at the others who were walking towards the field before picking up the pace, his eyes skimming the rigging of the skimmer to look for familiar faces.

No one was in the rigging or on the skimmer itself. Atemu frowned, his eyes focusing on the gathering below. The entire crew was assembled there, all the men that he had known and two more, one to replace Yugi and one to replace him. His heart sunk at that, the thought of being replaced, but he pushed it aside. He had chosen what was best for him and his child, a village was much safer than a skimmer. Even if raiders didn't attack, thousands of things could happen to him, and he was not willing to put himself at risk.

Atemu moved along the outskirts of the crowd, not willing to stand and mill with the others in the hopes of getting information. If he stayed to the edges, one of the crew members would wave him over and fill him in on what was going on.

Over the heads of the crowd he spotted Mahad and Shada, the two men who had volunteered to be a part of the police service associated with Danysia. But, more often than not, they were working within the village itself, their cases separate from those in the city. It was not uncommon to see them out, either talking to people or making their rounds, but never in their official uniforms with their guns by their sides. Atemu's hand hovered over his stomach for a moment before he forced it down with a shake of his head, swallowing nervously before edging to the far end of the crowd.

Marik was the first one to notice him, the blonde hesitating before waving him over with a partial smile on his face. Six other members of the crew turned to look at him, giving him slow smiles and half-hearted waves, Atemu not quite sure how to take their greeting. He walked over slowly, nodding to Valon as the captain turned to look at him. He froze at the look that Valon shot him, glancing between the crew of the Puzzle and the crowd, suddenly noticing that Tristan was standing apart from the rest. Tristan looked over at him before flinching, staring at the ground again.

"What's going on?"

"Valon, should he be here?" Duke took a step forward only to be waved back.

"He deserves to know."

"Know what?" Atemu took a hesitant step forward, only to be waved back by Valon, the captain shooting a contemptuous glare atTristan.

"We found out why the raiders were able to find us so quickly these past few seasons." Valon raised an eyebrow before glancing back at Tristan. "They managed to get a spy on almost every skimmer out in those skies. Every damn skimmer!"

The crowd shrunk back at Valon's shout, Atemu just flinching back, too used to his rages to be affected much. He glanced back at the rest of the crew to try and judge their mood, finding that those who had been smiling at his arrival were back to looking serious; all of them glaring straight at Tristan. Atemu frowned and glanced at Tristan, watching Valon out of the corner of his eye.

The captain calmed himself, breathing heavily for a moment before chuckling. "They had radios, all of them, and they called in the position of the skimmer so that a team of raiders could come, at least three, and guarantee a good catch. Sound familiar?"

Atemu felt his stomach drop, glancing between the Puzzle and Valon, finding that his head was nodding slowly. Three raiders had attacked them out of nowhere, in a planned attack the night that Yugi had died, which meant that they had a spy relaying the information. Someone he had trusted had killed Yugi. Atemu gave his head a violent shake and stepped back. "No."

"I didn't mean for it to happen!" Tristan held out his hand entreatingly, Atemu only then noticing the manacles around Tristan's wrists. "I just needed the money; they promised no one would get hurt."

"They killed him!"

Tristan shook his head. "He fell, Atemu."

"He wouldn't have fallen if they weren't there!" Atemu shivered, wrapping his arms around himself and taking a step back, surprised when Marik was there to support him. He looked up at his former crew-matebefore staring back at Tristan in horror. One of his best friends had been the reason that he had lost Yugi, lost nearly everything that was important in his life. It was because of Tristan that he would never get to hold Yugi again, that Yugi would never get to see his child. Atemu forced down a keen of despair, feeling Marik tighten his hold on him.

Tristan looked like he was trying to come up with a good argument, opening and shutting his mouth before he just hung his head. Atemu stared at him, watching as Mahad and Shada took their positions on either side of the brunette and escorted him back onboard the Puzzle, the two policemen remaining on the skimmer. The crew glanced back at Atemu before shuffling back towards the skimmer, all of them looking reluctant to get onboard the Puzzle again. None of them wanted to be with a shipmate that had betrayed them for money. Atemu ducked his head as they passed, not wanting to look them in the eye as he struggled to control himself.

He had been doing so well, managing to only think about happy times with Yugi and managing to get on with his life instead of moping around. If he was honest with himself, part of his ability to move on was the slow countdown until the baby was born; Atemu had to be ready for it when it came. If he did nothing but mope and refuse to eat, he could easily kill himself or the baby, neither of which he was willing to do. The child was the only thing of Yugi that he had left, and he found himself clinging to that idea with all of his strength.

Marik finally let go of him, mumbling a quiet good-bye before stumbling towards the ship, Atemu looking up as another hand landed on his shoulder. Valon gave him an awkward smile before gesturing toward the Puzzle, Atemu falling into step with his former captain out of habit.

Valon kept glancing over at him as they walked toward the skimmer, the captain stopping at the gangplank before jerking his head towards the deck. "With Tristan out, we need anothercrew member."

"You're completing the season?"

"Yeah." Valon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Pegasus is on my ass about leaving early. Apparently he thinks he can replace whole crews as easily as he can replace skimmers. So we're doing what's left of our route, plus a bit for the Scales. She went down because of raiders. No survivors."

Atemu nodded, Valon shaking his head. "Because of that bastard we might not be inland enough when the storms hit, but we'll see how it goes. But I could use your help. I have a feeling that we'll be getting a whole new crew once we hit Danysia, they won't want to work where they can't trust their own friends."

"I can't."

"I'll pay you the full seasonal price. I have to pay the others that as well. Two pays for the price of one, Atemu." Valon gave him a lopsided smile. "Even the raiders can't get better than that."

He shook his head. "I really can't. I have a job here."

Valon gave him a confused look. "What did you go and do that for? You're always welcome on the Puzzle. I thought you just needed time to finish mourning for Yugi and then you'd come back."

"I would have but something came up." When Valon just stared at him, Atemu glanced over his shoulder, checking to see that no one was looking at him before resting a hand on his stomach, Valon following the motion.

For a moment, the captain didn't say anything, just staring at Atemu's hand before he took a step back. "No. Are you serious?" He laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "Are you being serious Atemu?"

"Serious."

"Damn." Valon gave a low whistle before taking a step back. "Well, I see why you turned me down. Fine then, I'll come back next season."

"My answer is still going to be no, Valon. I'll have someone to take care of."

The captain hesitated for a moment before giving a slow nod. "I understand that. But don't be a stranger. Come and say hi to us. We'll remember you."

"Thanks, Captain." Atemu threw him an informal salute, Valon nodding his head in acknowledgment before turning to walk back onto the Puzzle. Atemu quickly backed away from the skimmer, pausing long enough to look over the Puzzle one last time before turning and walking down the street, not joining the other apprentices who looked longingly at the skimmer. They could look and, probably, go with the others when skimmer season started, but his time was over.

He smiled as he rested a hand on his stomach. There was something more important in his life now.

* * *

He stared at his reflection in the mirror smoothing down the red long red coat that he wore. Atemu trailed his fingers over where the coat ended about midway down his chest, staring at the red shirt that he wore underneath it. He glanced to the side; turning slightly and watching the embroidered coat flare out behind him, Atemu shaking his head with a sigh. His mother had been working on this for weeks just for this occasion, and it would go back into the closet until his next child, that thought making Atemu slump. There wouldn't be a next child.

Atemu turned away from his mirror and shuffled over to the bed, sitting on the edge and wrapping himself up in his blanket, holding it close to him. The blanket no longer smelled of Yugi, the thought making his heart sink. Then again, it hadn't smelled like his lover when he had gotten home either. Atemu shivered and pulled the blanket closer, looking up at his reflection. He wasn't ready for this.

Tradition dictated that a baby shower had to occur when the one expecting started to show, Atemu's hand reaching down to touch his stomach, resting it on the small bump there. They had put it off as long as possible, Atemu more than reluctant to participate in the event and Mayati wanting to let the little bump grow a bit more, Atemu doubtful that it would. He sighed and ducked his head, staring down at the blanket.

If things had been different, he would have gone home with his lover instead of trudging up the stairs at the end of the party; the baby shower doubling as a farewell party on the part of the family. If Yugi had been here, he would have gone to their home, to spend the night cuddled up with him instead of curled up in the blanket.

Atemu ducked his head, a few tears leaking from his eyes. The hurt still hadn't gone away, it still lingered, appearing at the most random moments. He would be sketching a design for a wood carving and he would think he had heard Yugi's laugh, twisting around before he realized that it was just his imagination. After a night spent trying to conjure every detail of Yugi so he wouldn't forget them again, Atemu had thought he had smelled his lover, quick to attribute that to the symptoms of pregnancy. But then there were the more normal moments when he would remember Yugi's smile, his laugh or the feeling of his embrace, and he would break down completely.

Siamun, surprisingly, was very supportive of these moments as was his mother. Mana was a bit scared of him now, not sure what to make of her big brother and his crazy mood swings from happiness to sadness and used it to spend more time with Mahad. His father was silently supportive, probably not sure how to handle him either. Atemu shook his head and gave the mirror a wry smile. His father had probably never thought he would have to handle his son as their first pregnant child, let alone have to help support him through the whole process.

He dropped his chin to his chest with a sigh, refusing to look at the mirror any longer. It wouldn't help.

A soft knock at the door made him look up a bit, Mana easing the door open and peeking in. "Atemu?"

"Hey."

Mana just gave him a shy wave back before glancing down towards the stairs, Atemu following her gaze. Akhnamkanon had been the one in charge of the last minute set up, following a careful list that Mayati prepared. None of the guests knew who the celebration was for; Atemu had been ordered to wear large shirts as soon as he had started to show. Once this party was over, he could go back to normal clothes, although those were starting to feel a little tight. He, his sister and his mother had been confined to the upstairs, waiting for the signal.

His sister's hand tightened on the door frame, Mana glancing down the stairs again before hesitantly stepping into the room, looking beautiful in her light blue dress and shawl. "They're ready for us."

Atemu nodded slowly, smiling at her. "You look beautiful."

She blushed, giving herself a quick look in the mirror before staring at the hem of her dress. "Really?"

"Mahad will be thrilled."

"I think he'll be more thrilled by the fact that I'm not pregnant. He's been worrying all week about this party." Mana bit her lip, stealing a quick look at him. "What about you?"

Atemu stood up, unwrapping the blanket from his shoulders and carefully folding it at the foot of his bed. He then turned towards Mana, his outfit earning a gasp from his sister. Atemu watched as Mana swayed from foot to foot, unable to jump up and down and alert the guests downstairs of anything going on upstairs. She clasped her hands over her mouth, managing to hold herself back for a moment more before rushing over to Atemu and pulling him into a hug. He tensed at the contact, surprised that Mana chose now to hug him after avoiding him the nearly three months he had been home.

She pulled back a moment later, wiping tears from her eyes. "You look very handsome 'Temy."

He gave a nod, a smile on his face. "You're still going to steal the show, Mana."

"No, Mahad will only have eyes for me; everyone else will be looking at you." She moved closer to straighten his shirt, picking at a bit of fluff on his coat before stopping, her eyes going to the dresser. Atemu followed her gaze, staring at the stone that waited for him. It was the last thing that he had to put on, Atemu hesitating for a moment before walking over and picking it up, sliding it over his head as Mana whispered. "Yugi should be here."

Atemu froze at that, his hands trembling where they rested on the stone and cord before he turned to look at Mana, taking in her wide eyed expression. He took a shaky step back, leaning against the wall as he stared at her, Mana stumbling over to his bed and sitting down on it. "Oh Atemu, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…It just slipped out and-"

"I can't do this." Atemu shook his head, meeting Mana's shocked gaze as he slid down the wall, drawing his knees up and resting his head on them. "Oh gods, I can't do this, not without him."

There was a rustle of fabric as Mana stood up, Atemu looking up at her as she crossed the room. She squatted next to him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Yes you can."

"I can't, Mana. I can't go down and face them and pretend that I'm happy about this, because I'm not."

She pulled away for a moment before glancing down at his stomach. "You want to get rid of it?"

"No!" Atemu curled up on himself for a moment before relaxing, shaking his head. "No. I just…I just can't pretend that nothing's wrong because I'll remember something, something that he did or just the way that he smiled and then I can't think anymore, all I can dois hurt and miss him."

"'Temy…"

"I'm afraid." He whispered the words, Mana have to lean close to him to hear. "Now that this is happening it seems real. Before…no, but now… What if something happens to me, or the baby? What then?" Atemu rested a hand on his stomach, trembling. "I'm the only person it has in the world and it's the only one that I have…"

Mana seemed to understand, wrapping her arms around him in an awkward hug, resting her cheek against the top of his head. "You'll do fine, Atemu." He shook his head, Mana adjusting her grip on him with a sigh. "You're braver than I am."

"What?"

Mana nodded slowly. "I would have begged for something to get rid of it or I would have gone to another village, hell, even the city to find something to get rid of it, because I'm not strong like you. I wouldn't be able to get my life together or even live with the reminder, it would kill me. But you, you're strong enough to do that and I envy you for it."

"I'm not strong, Mana." He shivered, Mana shushing him and rubbing one shoulder.

"You're strong enough. But let us in, 'Temy, we can help you. None of us are judging you or thinking less of you, we're just worried. Yugi was a part of our family too, and we don't want to lose you because we lost him." She squeezed him tighter before sitting back. "Now come on, it's your party downstairs."

She stood up and offered him her hand, Atemu staring at it for a moment before reaching for it, pulling himself up. Mana immediately began bustling around him, straightening out the coat and picking pieces of colored thread from his black pants. She paused when she got to the stone that he wore, reaching for it before pulling her hand back and blushing. Atemu simply nodded her on, Mana hesitating for a moment before pulling it out from where he had tucked it under his shirt, centering it on its cord before taking a step back. "Now, you're ready."

He smiled and reached up to tuck the stone away, only to get his hand lightly slapped aside. "Keep it out, Atemu."

"It doesn't match."

"You shouldn't care. Be proud that you have it." She gave his shoulder a slap before poking his stomach. "Your Daddy is silly."

"Mana…"

"It should know what it's getting into." She gave him a smile before dragging him to the door, motioning for him to stay. "I'll get Mom and then we'll come down together, alright? Just stay there. And no running and hiding."

"Alright, Mana."

She paused halfway down the short hall, glancing back at him before walking quickly back over. "And, 'Temy, try to smile, alright? Just this once, try to smile."

Atemu hesitated for a moment, staring at her before slowly nodding, not sure if he would be able to keep his promise. But the fact that he would make an effort seemed to please Mana, his sister beaming at him before skipping off towards their mother's room, Atemu watching her go before his hand strayed up towards the stone around his neck. He rubbed his fingers over the smooth stone, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself. He could do this; it was only for a few hours; a few hours of pretending to smile and pretending that everything was alright.

He could pretend he was strong enough.

* * *

Atemu jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, looking blearily up at Isis before sitting up and rubbing his eye, wincing as his back protested the movement. He reached up to stretch, relaxing a moment later, slightly more alert. "Sorry about that."

"You alright?"

He could have laughed at the worried look on Isis' face, Atemu waving her back before slowly standing up, one hand going to rest on his swollen stomach. "Yeah. The little one has started to have an aversion to the night. It doesn't like it when I have to sleep." Isis gave him an incredulous look, Atemu raising his eyebrow. "It's true. It won't stop kicking."

Isis just rolled her eyes, Atemu shrugging. "It's true."

"Right. Come on. The sooner you're done, the sooner you can go back to napping." Atemu nodding, pausing in following her off the porch where the others were sitting, raising his eyes at the mix of people sitting there. They were mostly girls, but there were a few guys mixed in, and none of them had been in the village when Atemu had returned. He raised an eyebrow before walking into Isis' house, following her to where she kept her herbs and potions.

"Is there something going around?"

"No, it's just the city crop." Isis shook her head, walking down the row of bottles. "They went to the city for a season, couldn't control themselves and now they've come back with a problem." Atemu noticed her quick look towards his stomach, Isis glancing away a moment later to reach up at take down a bottle, examining it before motioning for him to lay down. "You know the drill Atemu."

He shivered, taking off the loose shirt that he wore and laying down on the couch. "That stuff is cold."

"It works better that way."

"Frigid?"

Isis didn't respond, slathering the mixture over his stomach and ignoring the muttered curse that Atemu gave at the temperature. She glanced up at him as he settled, placing her hand over his stomach. Atemu's breath caught as he felt the mixture warm up at her touch, relaxing a bit. "Have you had any problems?"

Atemu opened one eye, a bit angry that she had interrupted him when hewas about to fall asleep. "Other than the kicking, no problems at all."

"Good." Isis stood up, picking up a towel that was thrown over the other end of the sofa, tossing it to Atemu when she was done wiping off her hands. "The baby is fine."

"Fine?"

"As in, nothing wrong." Isis chuckled and stretched out her back, Atemu using the towel to wipe off his stomach before he pulled his shirt back on. "You worry a bit too much, Atemu."

"Do you blame me?" He glanced at her before shaking his head and yawning. "Never mind, don't answer that."

Isis caught him before he walked out, guiding him back to the couch and making him sit, Atemu eyeing her warily. The healer shook her head, settling down in a chair and leaning back. "Don't give me that look; I'm not done with you yet. I've only checked up on one of you."

"Isis…"

"It's my job. I don't want a suicide on my hands."

Atemu shook his head. "I'm over that stage."

"But not over him?"

"No. But time will heal that, or that's what everyone says."

"They're lying." Atemu sat up straight, staring at Isis. His gaze fell to her neck, watching as she played with the stone around her neck as she spoke. "Time doesn't heal it, it just makes it bearable." She gave him a wry smile. "Don't end up like me Atemu, hurt and cold. It's not fun."

"I don't plan to."

"Good." Isis switched quickly back to normal, leaning forward and folding her hands in her lap. "Now, about your plans for when the little one comes."

Atemu sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'm already cutting back on my job."

"Only cutting back."

"I still walk to the shop, although I feel like that will be stopping soon." Atemu sighed and shot a glare at his stomach. "But it's only to look at the pieces of wood that Siamun has in. He's doing most of the carving again, I'm just sketching designs and taking down orders. I have about a week left at the shop before my mother is confining me to the house and having Mana run the sketches by. It'll give her an excuse to see Mahad. So, I'm continuing to get paid, I'm just not working as hard."

"I see."

"No other plans after that." Atemu admitted the fact nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was going to see how I coped before anything else." Isis didn't say anything, Atemu giving her a nervous smile before slowly standing up. "Nothing else to report."

"Hm? Oh, right." Isis waved him on. "Go ahead then. I'll see you in about two months."

Atemu nodded at her before walking out of the room, pausing to look back as Isis, watching as the healer cleaned up her supplies. She walked over to a portrait that was tucked away in the corner, staring at it for a moment before smiling, reaching out to touch it. Atemu assumed that it was a picture of her husband, but he was unable to see the face of the person, Isis blocking most of the picture.

"Send Thom in, Atemu. Let's get the poor boys done first so the girls don't embarrass them. Bad enough they're getting kicked out of the city. It's the invaders fault for making them like this anyway." He nodded, leaving Isis to her work before walking back outside.

Immediately, he felt the stares of the girls on him, most of them hostile. He glared back, watching them suddenly look away. These girls meant nothing to him, and their opinion of him meant even less. These were the ones who had left their homes and thrust themselves into the city, hoping to become someone great or find love at first sight. Most of them came back sick or with child, the latter frantic to get rid of the reminder that their first stint in the city hadn't gone well. In the city, any woman with a child and no husband would be ruined, only fit for the baser classes. Atemu rolled his eyes at the thought, not understanding the twisted logic of the city. In any case, the girls wouldn't get any help from Isis, at least not the help that they wanted. And none of the other healers in the surrounding villages or any villages that Atemu knew of would help them. If they wanted to get rid of the child that they had made, they would have to risk the quacks in the city.

"Thom." A nervous young man looked up, Atemu jerking his head toward Isis' house. He gulped and stood up, rushing inside to the sounds of the girls giggles. Atemu shot them a glare watching as they turned to talk to themselves. He eased himself off the porch, giving the remaining boy a single glance before walking down the street, heading back to the wood shop. Hopefully he could get the orders done quickly and then get home in time for a nap before dinner. For now, the baby seemed content to just rest instead of trying to rearrange his insides.

He yawned and rubbed his eyes, shooting a glare down at his stomach. His little one was going to be trouble already, he just knew it.

* * *

Atemu opened one eye, relieved that the sun was coming up. Now he had an excuse to move around the house instead of lying in bed and feeling the baby kick. He grunted as pain shot through him, Atemu sighing before pushing himself out of bed and beginning to pace along the wall of his room. It had worked the other nights the baby was restless, but it wasn't working as well now. He hissed and put a hand to his stomach, leaning against the wall and panting for breath. The baby had never been this restless at night, and _never_ when he was walking.

He held his position against the wall for a moment before returning to his awkward shuffling, trying to be as quiet as he could so he wouldn't wake up the others. He felt guilty enough for having them tend to his every whim; he didn't want to wake them up with his nighttime wanderings. It was why he had stopped sneaking down the stairs when he had reverted to a waddle because of the baby instead of his usual stride.

He leaned against the wall again asthe pain became too much, Atemu resting his head against the cool wood as he tried to catch his breath. There had to be something that he was missing, something important because this pain wasn't normal. He gritting his teeth, wracking his brain to try and figure out what this could be. His eyes widened, one hand rising to rest protectively on his stomach. What if something was wrong with the baby?

"Atemu?" He pushed away from the wall at Mana's sleepy question, having to brace himself against it for a moment. In that moment, Mana had crossed the room to look at him, her sleepiness gone in an instant. "Atemu, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." He winced, his free hand clenching into a fist. "The baby's just being energetic."

Mana pursed her lips and shook her head, Atemu watching her as she took a step back. "No, it's more than that. You've never been like this."

"I'm telling you that I'm-" Atemu went still, trembling and pressing himself back up against the wall. "Shit."

"Atemu?"

He looked up at his sister, trying to control his panic. Atemu swallowed nervously, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Mana, get Mom and then, run and get Isis."

"Isis…" Mana stared at him before gasping and just nodding, hesitating long enough to help Atemu back to bed before she disappeared, Atemu watching her go and shivering. He reached back to wrap the blanket that Yugi had made him around his shoulders, clutching it close to him and wincing at the contractions.

"Atemu!" He jerked his head up as his mother rushed in, Mayati hovering by him for a moment before resting her hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"Y-yes. Mom, I'm not ready."

She brushed the bangs away from his face, smiling gently at him. "It's never about when you are ready; it's when the baby is ready."

He whimpered and rested his head on her shoulder, flinching at another contraction. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, rubbing his arm gently. Atemu glanced up at his mother, tugging the blanket even tighter around him. "I'm scared."

"I know."

"Don't leave?"

"Of course not." Mayati kissed his forehead, reaching down to hold his hand. "I'll be right here for you, alright?"

"Alright."

* * *

"Oh _gods_!"

"Come on, Atemu. One more."

"YOU SAID THAT LAST TIME!"

Isis looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Less talking, more pushing."

Atemu closed his eyes, feeling his mother take a stronger hold on his hand. He took a shaky breath before pushing, losing his control over his voice and screaming, the end of the scream turning into a sob as he collapsed, panting for breath. There was a moment of silence before he heard something crying from the other end of the bed, wearily raising his head before letting it fall back to the pillow, too tired to care at the moment. He took a few slow breaths, trying to calm himself down, finally getting the strength to prop himself up to look down as Isis.

Isis smiled at him, gently wiping off a bundle in her arms. The baby was still crying, Isis making a soft hushing sound to calm it before walking to the head of the bed. "Want to hold him?"

"Him?"

She nodded, rocking the baby as Mayati stood up, the two of them looking down at the bundle. "Yes, it's a boy."

"Oh, Atemu, he's beautiful."

Atemu grunted as he pulled himself slightly upright, his arms trembling as they took most of the weight of his tired body. He settled down, watching as Isis passed the bundle down to him, adjusting his arms around the baby before stepping back. Atemu looked up at the two of them before turning his focus to the sobbing baby in his arms, watching it flail. He felt a smile cross his face at the sight of his son. "Hush, little one, I've got you."

He held the baby close to him, oblivious to anything else in the room, just staring at his son. The boy was tiny and delicate, Atemu afraid that any movement that he made might jar the baby too much, Atemu sucking in a quick breath at that thought. The baby let out another great sob, Atemu looking up as his mother touched his shoulder, holding a bottle for him. "He's hungry and scared."

"Scared?"

"Yes. He's been safe for months now where he could hear your heartbeat and now he's out in a strange world and he doesn't have that reassurance." Mayati knelt by the bed, reaching out to pull a little bit more of the soft blanket that the boy was wrapped in. "He'll be fine in a while, he just has to get used to it."

"Should I-"

"Go ahead and feed him now, he's going to need it." Atemu looked up as Isis, watching as she placed a tin on his desk. "That's for the baby; he'll need the extra help since he's not getting breast milk."

Atemu nodded dumbly, suddenly feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. He looked back at the baby in his arms, shifting his hold on the bottle in his other hand glancing awkwardly between the two. He heard his mother laugh, Mayati shifting to sit on the side of the bed. "Here, like this."

She eased him into the proper position, remaining close by as Atemu held both the bottle and the baby, watching as the baby eagerly suckled at the nipple of the bottle. Atemu wasn't trying to fight the smile away now, watching as his son settled down, sucking in a quick breath as the boy opened his eyes, staring down at blue eyes.

Somehow, he was disappointed. With the small tuft of black hair at the top of his head, Atemu had hoped that his son would have Yugi's eyes. But that was something that he could live with, Atemu smiling and reaching out a finger to trace his son's cheek.

"It'll change." Atemu looked up at Isis, having forgotten that she was there. The healer just smiled and leaned against the door. "Or it might not. Babies are usually born with blue eyes…or that's what I've seen."

He just nodded, going back to looking at his child, barely hearing Isis laugh before walking out.

The boy finished with his bottle, pulling away and making a face, Atemu turning helplessly to Mayati, listening to his mother laugh. She dug around on the floor for a moment before pulling out a scrap of cloth. "You'll be needing this."

She showed him how to hold the baby to burp him, Atemu wincing as the baby spit up on the cloth, ignoring his mother's laugh as he carefully cradled his son in his arms, wiping off his face. He glanced up at Mayati with a smile, his mother leaning over to place a kiss on his forehead. "I will take the little one for a while and you would probably like to clean up."

"Can I move?"

Mayati shook her head. "Nothing too strenuous, but I don't think a sponge bath counts for that. Go on, he'll be in safe hands."

She stood up and walked out of the room, Atemu waiting for her to shut the door before easing himself out of bed, wincing at how sore he was. What he really wanted was a soak in the tub that they had, but that would involve hauling water inside and warming it up; he could wait for that. Atemu gently moved across the floor, glancing to where Yugi's blanket had been folded up, moved out of the way of to keep from getting stained. Atemu smiled at that before grabbing the sponge and bowl, glancing around before tugging off his shirt.

He quickly sponged himself off completely, shivering a bit at the pink color that the water turned, glad that he hadn't been able to see what had been going on while the baby was being born. Atemu shook his head before pulling on clothes, turning around as he heard the door to his room open, Mayati walking back in with a crying baby. He smiled at his mother before walking over to the bed, about to bend over and strip the sheets from it when he was handed his son, Mayati efficiently stripping the sheets from his bed and bustling off with them. She returned a moment later with a new set, making up his bed and placing the blanket down at the end. By then, his son had stopped crying, settling into a content doze.

Atemu slid back into bed, Mayati leaning over to kiss his forehead again before smiling. "I'll fix you something to eat and then come to look after him while you sleep."

He just nodded, his fingers gently stroking one of his son's tiny fists. He watched the baby twitch as he slept, Atemu humming soft to calm him down. He didn't even hear his mother leaving the room, completely focused on the child in his arms.

_

* * *

Last chapter tomorrow._


	3. Epilogue

**Author's Note:** So here's the final chapter. I hope that you enjoyed the other chapters and the story as a whole.

**

* * *

Epilogue**

Atemu looked up at the sound of someone running, turning in his seat as the young boy rushed into the room. "Daddy!"

He set down his carving tools, sliding off the stool that he was sitting on to kneel on the floor to catch the boy, standing up and settling the boy on his hip. The child wrapped his arms around Atemu, snuggling close. Atemu smiled and looked up as someone else walked into the shop, Mana giving him a wane smile. "He got away from me."

"It's fine. He knows to wait for me to stop working." He felt the boy nod at his side, Atemu adjusting the child on his hip while he looked at Mana. His sister was looking a bit drained, Atemu concerned for her. She and Mahad had been married for about a year now, but her first pregnancy was wearing on her. Atemu walked forward to rest a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." She gave a weak smile before shrugging his hand off. "Morning sickness. Not fun."

Atemu smiled back at her. "Tell me about it. At least you're at home for it."

"Daddy! The skimmers are here." Atemu chuckled as the child tugged at his shirt, adjusting his hold on his son.

"Are they now?"

The child nodded. "They landed in the field, Daddy! I want to go see them! I want to see the ship that you met Papa on!" He wiggled out of Atemu's grip, hopping to the ground and bouncing in place. "Is Papa coming back this time?"

Atemu flinched at that, hearing Mana gasp. He sighed and kneeled on the ground, reaching out to hold his son steady. "Kysen, I've told you your Papa isn't coming back."

The child's eyes filled with tears. "But…but the skimmers bring everything. Why can't they bring him back?"

He pulled his son into a hug, holding Kysen close as the little boy cried, feeling tears prick at his own eyes. It had been four years since he had walked off the Puzzle, heartsick and pregnant. And, even though it hurt him, he watched the crews walk off the skimmers in the hopes that Yugi would appear, but it never happened. This year he promised himself that he wouldn't do it, this year he didn't want to get hurt. He should concentrate on the now and not the past.

Atemu rocked back onto his heels, watching as Kysen sniffed and wiped his eyes, looking up at Atemu. "I want Papa back."

"I know, Kysen. I know." Atemu scooped the child up, cuddling him close.

Since Kysen had been old enough to talk, he had been asking questions about Yugi, wondering why he only had one parent instead of two. It didn't even matter that both of his parents were male, the child just wanted to know why he only had one. All of his friends had two. That was normal to him. Atemu had answered all the questions as truthfully as he could, but Kysen would always ask when Yugi was coming back, Atemu having difficulties explaining death to Kysen. He would take one look in those wide purple eyes, the ones so much like Yugi's and find himself struggling to explain.

"Come on." He tried to put on a smile. "Let's have a fun day and try and cheer Aunt Mana up."

Kysen nodded and wiped the tears from his face. "Okay, Daddy."

Atemu edged toward the door, Mana already holding it open. She flipped the sign to closed for him, Atemu glancing back into the shop to see that everything was in order. With Siamun getting older, he was taking more responsibility in the shop, Siamun now working solely on designs. Just this past month, Atemu had been made a full partner with the shop, the pay raise bringing him closer to the house that he wanted.

His own room was getting crowded between his things and all the toys that Kysen was lavished with. Mana was staying with them too, Mahad working to get his small bachelor's rooms over the police station cleaned and working on his parent's house that they had left to him. She wouldn't be going over there until her baby shower, which meant that the house was crowded again, especially with Kysen underfoot.

He set Kysen down on the ground, holding his hand and walking toward where all the skimmers had anchored. There were a few things that he had to pick up for the shop, but he was free after that, Atemu watching Mana closely.

Mahad had gone off to the city for some big trial; more of the traitors had been found and brought in front of a court to be sentenced, all of them getting beheaded. Atemu had only heard of Tristan's trial by word of mouth and the only thing he got was the guilty verdict and the fact that Tristan had been dragged to the block screaming that he hadn't meant to kill him, last words that had intrigued Danysia for months afterward, but Atemu understood. Tristan had been trying to apologize about Yugi until the end, and Atemu still couldn't bring himself to forgive the brunette, it still hurt too much.

Kysen bounced eagerly at his side but stayed close, the only sign of his nervousness a slight tightening of his grip on Atemu's hand, Atemu smiling down at his son. Kysen was his little treasure, his entire world. He knew it was dangerous putting so much of himself towards this little boy, the boy who was still so fragile, but he couldn't help it. He had expected Kysen to remind him too much of Yugi, his son inheriting Yugi's wide purple eyes, soft facial features and delicate body, but Kysen was very much his own person. And he loved the little boy more for that.

"Daddy, Daddy, I think I see the Puzzle!" Kysen pointed at a ship, Atemu glancing at the configuration of sails before shaking his head.

"The Puzzle isn't there, Kysen." The boy pouted at that, Atemu not blaming him. Kysen wanted to see the skimmer where his parents had met almost as much as he wanted Yugi back, but it seemed that he would never get either. After the Puzzle had stopped at the village with the news of Tristan's betrayal, Atemu hadn't seen or heard the skimmer again, something that worried him. Of course, the Puzzle could have been put on a different route for its own safety or Pegasus could have tired of his hobby and scrapped the whole line. The latter would be a shame, because the Millennium line was the best fleet of skimmers that Atemu had ever laid his eyes on.

"Daddy, I can't see." He turned his attention back to his son, holding back his laughter as Kysen tried to jump up. Atemu paused long enough to kneel down and allow Kysen to scramble up onto his shoulders.

"There. Now tell us when you see Uncle Mahad."

"Aye, aye, captain." Kysen laughed and went back to scanning the crowd, Atemu taking the chance to look over at Mana, watching his sister carefully.

"You can go back if you're not feeling well. Mahad will kill me if you collapse."

Mana shook her head, taking a steadying breath. "I want to see him. And Isis will be here getting her things. I'll talk to her, I promise."

Atemu nodded, glancing over at his sister again before directing his attention back to the bustle around the skimmers. For a moment he was back in Danysia, watching the crews ready the skimmers to take off for the summer season. All he would have to do was turn his head, to find the right skimmer, and Yugi would be leaning on the rail, waving at him and smiling. Against his better judgment, he looked up towards the deck of the closest skimmer, his heart sinking as he failed to see Yugi, Atemu berating himself for even thinking that.

Yugi had fallen off the Puzzle during a fight with raiders. They had been traveling close to the treetops, but not that close; it was a fair distance to and the speed that they had beentraveling…Yugi was dead. He had been dead for four years. That's what Atemu had to accept. And he couldn't afford to lose himself over that, not with Kysen around now.

"Uncle Mahad!"

Atemu turned at Kysen's shout, smiling as he saw Mahad striding towards them. The man waved at the two of them, giving Kysen a one armed hug before rushing over to Mana. Atemu flinched as he watched Mahad wrap an arm around Mana's waist, hugging her close as they whispered together before he drew her into a kiss. His gaze dropped to the ground, Atemu taking a step back. He looked up at them again, watching as Mana took one of Mahad's hands and rested it over her stomach, smiling up at him as he looked between where his hand rested and her eyes before smiling and pulling her into a passionate kiss.

His stomach lurched at that, Atemu turning away. He had never gotten that moment with Yugi. He heaved a sigh, glancing up when he felt Kysen shift. "Daddy?"

"Come on, Kysen, let's go look at that wood."

"Alright, Daddy." Kysen was silent for a moment, Atemu slowing as the boy shifted on his shoulders, reaching down to rest his small hand on one of Atemu's. "You know I love you, right, Daddy?"

"Yes."

"And Grandmother says that Papa loves us."

"He does, Kysen." Atemu pulled the boy from his shoulders to hold him close, Kysen wrapping his arms around Atemu's neck. "He loves us very much."

"Can he see us?"

"Hm?"

"Grandmother says he's with the gods. Can he see us from there?" Kysen tipped his head back. "It's a long way."

"Of course he can." Atemu kissed Kysen's forehead before setting him on the ground and reaching for his son's hand. Kysen gripped his hand tightly as they walked further into the crowd.

* * *

He limped down the gangplank, stumbling across the flat ground before going to lean against some of the crates that the rest of the crew had unloaded, glancing back at the skimmer before reaching down to rub his leg. It still wasn't quite healed back up after the last break, and it pained him more often than not. Still, it was good enough to walk on and perform basic tasks; enough for him to earn a salary and get passage to a place. He checked his bagagain, making sure that everything was in there before slinging it over his shoulder and limping away. He didn't stay to say good-bye to the rest of the crew; they knew what he was here for.

Everything that Yugi Mutou had done in the past four years was to get him back to this village.

He winced as his leg ached, rubbing at a muscle to try and ease it. The healer five villages back had warned him that walking would hurt, especially since he had broken the leg once before. He wasn't getting any younger and his bones weren't healing as fast as they used to. He wasn't healing as fast as he used to, he hadn't since he had fallen from the Puzzle.

Yugi thanked every god that Skelilia had that he had been found that night and had been carried back to a village, although he hadn't been conscious for that part. The healers who had looked after him had said that he would have died in a matter of hours if he had stayed out there, from blood loss, ifan animal hadn't decided to eat himfirst. But that didn't stop him from nearly dying two weeks later when the summer sickness came around, Yugi spending his days in agony as his broken body bucked and twisted, the healers trying to keep him still so he couldn't jar his still healing bones.

But he had survived. He had survived nearly a month of illness and the year that it had taken him to recover from his fall, pushing himself to his limits so he could leave the village.

Yugi had taken the first skimmer out, after thanking the ones who had cared for him. He had tried to get any news from the crew, but they didn't trust him. The only news he got was that the raiders had managed to get a network of spies on the skimmers and that the captains and crews were on edge because of it.

It was the reason he had been left nearly on the other side of the continent from Danysia and Atemu's village; left staring at the skimmer as it flew away at top speed, sure that they had just ditched a spy. Yugi still chuckled at the news that that same skimmer had been taken by raiders not an hour after they left him, their captain calling in the raiders to kill the crew.

He had been stuck in the village, helping where he could until the Puzzle had turned up, both the crew and Yugi surprised by the circumstances. Valon had taken him on without a second thought, Yugi suspicious of all the crews' smirks in his direction, only to be told it was not their secret to tell.

Even though he had been overjoyed to be back on the Puzzle, it hadn't been the same. Marik was off permanently, taking care of Bakura and their child as well as dealing with a pregnant Ryou. Tristan had been hauled off as a spy and beheaded, Yugi wincing at the news. Tristan had been one of his best friends and he had never suspected. He also thought the sentence was too harsh, especially since they had all thought that he was dead, the guilt would have been enough for Tristan.

The two weeks he had on the Puzzle were blissful, until the raiders found them.

This time, after putting up a fight, the Puzzle went down, breaking into pieces on the shore. Yugi was the only survivor, the others killed by the raiders or by the crash. He shivered, still able to picture the shattered skimmer with bodies strewn all over on the beach, with Valon still clinging to the wheel. It was an image that was only now leaving his nightmares.

After the Puzzle had wrecked, he had spent two years wandering back to the normal routes of the skimmers, hitching a ride back to the city in the hopes that he could catch a wagon to Atemu's village. All his hopes had died when he walked into his grandfather's house to find Solomon Mutou dead.

Yugi bit his lip, trying to keep tears from falling from his eyes. He shouldn't be too sad; Solomon had lived to a ripe old age, living his life to the fullest until the end. And Yugi had buried him with all the respect that the elderly man deserved. It had taken him a while to sell his grandfathers small apartment and, by then, it had been time for the summer season.

He had spent weeks trying to find a skimmer that ran the route he wanted, only to be disappointed. He would have to go the whole season with them. So Yugi had thrown himself into his work, trying to make time pass quickly, his whole being focused on returning to Atemu's village and finding his lover.

His hand strayed to the stone that he still wore around his neck, the surface chipped and worn in places but still smooth. Yugi smiled as he stroked the stone. Atemu had been the only reason he had kept on going during the hardest times. His whole existence had been focused on getting back to his lover and apologizing for ever leaving.

Yugi picked his way out of the crowd around the skimmers, frowning as he looked at the sun. It was close to setting, Yugi cursing the unenthusiastic crew on the skimmer that he had come in on. Maybe if he had arrived early, he could have caught Atemu with the crowd, but now…now he could be anywhere in the village and Yugi wasn't up for searching the whole village, his leg wouldn't take it for another few months. He winced and looked around, spotting a man and hobbling over. "Hey!"

The man turned around, giving him a long look, Yugi knowing that he looked horrible, but he had been in too much of a rush to care. "Yes?"

"I'm looking for Atemu Sennen. Do you know where he would be?" He saw the man's gaze jump down to the stone that he wore around his neck before he looked up at Yugi. The man said nothing for a while, Yugi shifting impatiently. The world seemed to be completely against him today. Was it so wrong to want to get back to his lover?

"Try down at the wood shop." Yugi glanced in the direction the man pointed. "He should still be there."

Yugi nodded and started off, turning around shortly afterward. "Thank you!"

The man just waved him on, Yugi pushing himself to walk as fast as he could, ignoring the pain from his leg. When he was this close to his goal, he would live with a little pain. It was worth it to see Atemu again. After four years, he wanted to hold Atemu in his arms and never let him go.

In his haste, he almost passed the small wood shop, Yugi slowing down just in time. He hesitated outside of the shop for a moment, taking a few deep breaths before reaching for the door. He had gotten rid of his doubts long ago, back before the Puzzle had crashed. He knew what he wanted, and he wanted Atemu back.

He swung open the door, his eyes jumping to the fine carvings that were displayed on shelves and then moving to some drawings that were pinned on the wall behind the counter. The counter curved back around to a small hallway, Yugi unable to see what was down the hallway from where he was, but he could hear someone humming and the sound of a blade against wood as the person worked. Yugi smiled to himself, pausing as a carving caught his eye. He adjusted his hold on his bag so it wouldn't knock into any of the other carvings as he knelt to stare at a carved skimmer. He marveled at the detail for a moment before realizing that it was almost a perfect copy of the Puzzle, Yugi whistling under his breath. He stood up slowly, freezing at the sound of someone coming around the counter.

"Can I help-" Yugi turned quickly at the sound of a voice, frowning at the youth behind the voice. He adjusted the bag on his back and turned to look at the person who had spoken, his mouth dropping open.

He was staring a boy who couldn't be more than four, the boy staring back at him in shock. Yugi took in the wide purple eyes, the eyes that looked frighteningly like his own before he glanced up at the boy's hair, his own eyes widening as he stared at the messy black hair, already seeing the red tips appearing on the body's head. Blonde bangs hung around his round cheeks, the boy pushing him out of the way as he stumbled backwards, shivering in place before turning around and running towards the corridor. "Daddy! Daddy, it's a ghost!"

Yugi jumped at the scream, quickly scrambling to his feet and edging towards the counter, listening to the conversation that was coming from the room that was back there. "Daddy!"

"Hush, Kysen. Tell me what happened?"

"Some…somebody came in and…Daddy, it's a ghost. I know it is."

"Alright then, just stay back here and I'll take care of it."

"Be careful, Daddy."

Yugi leaned against the counter, trying to see who was coming out of the corridor, jumping backwards as a familiar person rounded the corner. His leg gave out on him then, Yugi cursing as he fell to the floor, clutching at his thigh and panting for breath. His head jerked up as he heard the man behind the counter gasp, Yugi staring up into crimson eyes. He swallowed harshly before the man's name spilled out of his mouth. "Atemu."

Atemu bounded over the counter, falling to his knees on the floor beside Yugi. He watched as Atemu's hovered over him, reaching down to touch him only to pull back, shivering. Yugi pushed off the floor, his hands falling from his thigh as he stared at his lover, taking in the stress lines on Atemu's face and the bags under his eyes, but Atemu was still the same behind those; the same kind crimson eyes and handsome face. A smile crossed his face, Yugi pushing off the ground and throwing himself at Atemu. "Atemu!"

He felt Atemu wrap his arms around him, loosely at first before he pulled Yugi close, Yugi feeling tears against his neck. "Yugi. Oh Yugi, my Yugi."

"I'm here." Yugi smiled, feeling tears leak from his eyes. He sniffed and ducked his head. "I'm finally here."

"I thought you were-"

"No. I came back." Yugi pulled away to rest his forehead against Atemu's cupping his lover's cheeks and wiping the tears away. "I came back for you."

"Oh Yugi…" Atemu pulled him into a kiss, Yugi moaning and wrapping his arms around Atemu's neck. He had dreamed about this for years, waited for this moment when he would be able to kiss Atemu again. He opened his mouth to Atemu's tongue, pressing up against his lover as Atemu deepened the kiss. Yugi buried his hands in Atemu's hair, delighting in the feel of it, delighting in everything about Atemu.

Yugi was the one to break first, pulling back and panting for air while Atemu reached out to touch the stone that hung around his neck. "You kept it."

"Why do you sound surprised?" Yugi couldn't stop himself from touching Atemu, he didn't want to. He wanted to touch and press himself so close against his lover that they would never be parted again. He leaned forward to brush his lips across Atemu's in a teasing kiss. "I will always come back for you."

His hands wandered down to Atemu's neck, pausing when they found a cord. Yugi frowned, looking down and cupping the stone that Atemu wore, glancing up at his lover as his stomach dropped. Did this mean Atemu had moved on? Judging from his surprise he hadn't, but had Atemu found someone else? He glanced back up at Atemu, his eyes wide with worry, only to have Atemu chuckle, reaching up to rest a hand over his own. "There was only ever one for me, Yugi." Yugi shivered as Atemu reached up to trace his fingers over Yugi's jaw. "My aibou."

Yugi allowed himself to be pulled into a gentle kiss, wrapping his arms around Atemu again and closing his eyes with a long sigh.

"Daddy?" His eyes snapped open at the sound of the boy, Yugi pulling away from Atemu to look towards the child, watching him wince. He felt Atemu shift too, his lover loosening his hold on his waist to look at the child. The boy glanced at Yugi again before scooting behind the counter. "The ghost is still here."

"It isn't a ghost."

"But he looks like Papa." Yugi's heart pounded at that, his mouth dropping open as he stared at Atemu. The boy looked so much like him that it had startled him at first, but he had never even thought about how much the boy resembled Atemu. He glanced between the two, swallowing harshly. Was it even possible?

"It is."

"But you said Papa was dead."

"I was wrong, Kysen." Atemu held out a hand to the child, Kysen glancing up at Yugi before rushing over to cling to his father's hand. Yugi couldn't stop staring at the child, trying to count backwards, to calculate exactly what happened when Atemu turned to look at him. "Kysen, meet your Papa. Yugi, meet your son."

"My…son?"

"Yes, aibou." Atemu laughed and ducked his head so it rested on Yugi's shoulder. "Our son."

Yugi shook his head and looked at the boy in wonder, Kysen having less trouble dealing with the announcement than he did. The boy smiled and launched himself at Yugi. "Papa!"

Yugi caught him, tempted to hold him at arms length for a moment and study the wonder that he was, but he overrode that thought, pulling Kysen into a hug and feeling the child snuggle close to him. "I knew you'd come back. The skimmers always bring stuff back."

He heard Atemu chuckle at that, Yugi shaking his head and reaching for Atemu with his free arm. Atemu pulled him close; Kysen nestled happily in between them. Yugi looked down at his son before looking up at Atemu, smiling when his lover placed a kiss on his forehead. "Welcome home aibou."

There was a muffled response from Kysen, but Yugi couldn't pick it out. And it didn't matter. All that mattered was the two that he was holding close to him, two of the most wonderful things in the world.

The two that he would never let go of again.

END


End file.
